Drought ruins fodder plans: A policy crisis?
Last winter, 18,500 tonnes of animal fodder were imported, but even that figure is minuscule in the context of the ever-growing national herd.
According to Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, that represented about eight hours feeding for the country’s 7m cattle.
That context may allow the minister to argue that there was not a fodder crisis last winter — but he’ll need a new argument for the coming winter. Drought-stricken farmers are short about 10m bales of feed to get through the coming winter.
There seems to be a belated recognition of the role of climate change in this crisis but the sector has yet to fully accept the implications of that recognition. Fine Gael’s Patrick Deering, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has called for a full review of the unprecedented targets set in Food Wise 2025.
His concern echoes those of party colleague and EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan, who has questioned the viability of the plan.
It seems we may have a policy crisis as well as a growing fodder crisis.
