Fodder Transport Subsidy Must Get Up and Running Now

The fodder transport subsidy scheme announced by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed at last week’s IFA AGM needs to be rolled out immediately, IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Padraic Joyce has said.

IFA has sought a meeting with the Department of Agriculture to discuss the details of the scheme and to ensure that it meets the needs of farmers affected and is not cumbersome or overly bureaucratic.

Padraic Joyce said the IFA believes a meal voucher system would have been the best and most efficient means of providing support but in the absence of such a scheme, it is vital that the transport subsidy scheme is opened immediately and that it is meaningful as farmers are under extreme stress and are in dire need of feed for animals.

In response to the fodder crisis, IFA has mobilised its national county and branch network to support those farmers in most difficulty. Counties have been twinned to identify farmers who are in a position to contribute feed that can be transported to areas in need and provided at a reasonable cost.