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While the Dail was sitting for the last time before the summer break last week, fodder issues were a hot topic of debate.
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Sea, Michael Creed, was called upon to answer a number of questions relating to the current problems of drought and fodder that affect farmers .
However, the minister seemed to lose patience with independent TD Mattie McGrath – indicating that Tipperary South's TD had " criticized the matter " without suggesting "a single constructive proposal".
Deputy Minister McGrath asked the Minister to highlight the measures he was going to put in place to deal with shortages [] of fodder in the coming months.
But the independent TD was not satisfied when the minister pointed out that a group of fodder stakeholders had been set up, with a dedicated line of badistance by Teagasc's advisors , and that a national census of fodder was in progress.
A second census is planned for September.
See also: Census results: Estimates of the national forage deficit currently at 28%
Speaking in the Dail, MP McGrath said, "The time for censuses and enumeration is over, it's only waffle, we can see that the fields are barren, they will hardly have a lot of growth now.We need real and consistent action.
Counting the amount of fodder in September is simply an insult to the farmers, because they've opened the silage pits and that they're feeding their animals with what's going on. 39, they had saved during the first cut
it withered. I saw them cutting it last week because it was melting. They had to bring it earlier than usual and more and more of them cut the grbad to feed the cows daily.
"Counting is an insult to farmers; they need support, "he said.
Continuing, Deputy Minister McGrath argued that there was nothing left to count "outside of hungry stocks".
"Reacting accordingly"
In response, Minister Creed pointed out that he was "anxious to work in collaboration with all those who have something positive to offer or to to bring".
He reiterated the fact that he convened a stakeholder group – representing farmers, the banking sector, the cooperative movement and the advisory service.
"All the appropriate stakeholders, including my department, are here, all working hard to find a solution to a difficult problem.
The last thing we need in this difficult time is an imprecise and fragmented approach to the question. That is why it is important to be able to measure and react accordingly.
"Taking a census now and another in September will give us the knowledge bank to make informed decisions ," he said.
In conclusion, Minister Creed said, "We can all make noise on this, and that requires focused concentration on solutions."
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