Dairy farmers are calling for a transport subsidy to help them move fodder from the west to the east of the country.
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) says some parts of the southeast have had virtually no rain all summer.
The group warns that the dry weather is eating into farmers’ winter fodder supplies.
Following a meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee this morning, ICMSA President Denis Drennan warned that the situation could escalate into an animal welfare issue by the time spring rolls around.
“When we look at the survey of the fodder reserves that are there at the moment right across the country, we’re below where we should be. We were in a very good position coming to the end of June, but because of the drought that has really affected probably two-thirds of the country for the last two months, a lot of that fodder has been eaten and is continuing to be eaten. And even in the south-eastern half of the country, if we—even if we get rain now, we’re still going to continue feeding animals on a winter diet.” said Denis.
