IFA President Visits Flooded Shannon Region and Calls for Proper Management System

On a visit to farms in the midlands, the IFA President John Bryan said the weather damage would have a lasting and costly impact for all farmers, especially those along the River Shannon. “While farmers in every part of the country are enduring difficulties with silage harvesting and incurring extra feed costs from having to house cattle, the problems are particularly acute in the Shannon region.”

John Bryan said the poor ground conditions because of the exceptionally high levels of rainfall have been exacerbated by the gross mismanagement of the River Shannon by a number of agencies. “The political will does not appear to exist to implement a proper management system that will minimise the impact of flooding on farmland. It is unacceptable that farmers in the Shannon Catchment continue to experience unnecessary hardship year in year out.”

IFA Flood Project Team leader Michael Silke, who accompanied the President on the tour, was particularly critical of Waterways Ireland, which he accused of ignoring farmers when deciding on water levels along the Shannon. “We need to see one agency overseeing a comprehensive maintenance and drainage programme that will alleviate the flooding problem. Agencies that are not accountable cannot continue to inflict difficulties on farmers.”

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