Limerick farmers urged ‘not to suffer in silence’ with health and wellbeing of concern

LIMERICK farmers were urged “not to suffer in silence” at a specially organised drought and fodder meeting in Boher. 

Farmers’ health and wellbeing is of concern said Majella Moloney, Limerick/KerryTeagasc regional advisory manager.

“Speak with someone - a family member, friends or a neighbour. Farmers should avoid isolation, talk to your peers as they understand and know exactly what you are going through,” said Ms Moloney.

After one of the longest winters in living memory farmers’ fodder and morale was at an all-time low. Yet a few months later they are back feeding silage as there is no grass growing. There is worry that not enough silage will be made for the coming winter.  If the rain forecast for this Thursday and the weekend comes it will still take two weeks for grass to grow.

Gerald Quain, dairy farmer in Colmanswell and ICMSA’s national dairy committee chairman, said it is costing dairy farmers over €1 million every day in extra feed.

“That is the stark reality of it,” said Mr Quain.

To show how it is affecting an individual dairy farmer, Tom Hyland, who has a 100 cow herd in Glenroe, said: “I reckon that it has cost me nearly €9,000 to keep the cows fed for July, but I’ve started looking forward in preparation for the winter.” 

Normally at this time of year dairy farmers only give cows a handful of nuts to entice them into the milking parlour. This year they are feeding 5kg and upwards to keep them in condition.

Mr Quain crunched the numbers and based on the country’s 1,500,000 cows he said it is costing in excess of €1 million a day.

“Some are feeding 8kgs of nuts and that’s on top of bills that haven’t been paid off from last winter. Fellows have no grass and are trying to spare silage. This drought will finish like it did before and there will hopefully be second cuts and some third cuts if it stays warm.

“What killed us last year is that cattle had to go in so early.

“Hopefully this year with the ground cracked open like it is they will be out until the back end of the year. That would make an awful difference and you wouldn’t have to dig into the silage pit,” said Mr Quain.

The demand for fodder is demonstrated by Rathkeale councillor and farmer, Adam Teskey. He knows a farmer in west Limerick who had bales for sale.

“He sold 600 bales in just one hour, and had calls from counties as far away as Kilkenny. The fodder crisis will turn into a national emergency.

“There isn’t enough feed in the country for the amount of cattle,” said Cllr Teskey, who called on the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to explore ways to help farmers.

See Farm Leader on page 14 for more