The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
AGRICULTURE Minister Charlie McConalogue has been requested to address an anomaly that prevents Clare farmers with low-input permanent pasture to cut hay or silage if they are in GLAS.
This request was made by Deputy Michael McNamara in the Dáil recently where he also asked when the minister met the EU agriculture ministers, did he call for a reduction in or the abolition of EU import tariffs on fertiliser?
“Farmers with low-input permanent pasture cannot cut hay and silage if they are in GLAS. The Minister is trying to incentivise them to do so but they cannot.
“Will they, on a temporary basis for this year or for as long as this fertiliser crisis lasts, be allowed to cut silage?
“Likewise, traditional hay meadows can only be cut once because cutting can only take place after a certain deadline.
“Will that deadline be brought forward to allow for a second cut this year? These are matters the Minister can deal with unilaterally.
Minister McConalogue said he wants to ensure that farmers are getting an income from those schemes.
“It is important that the conditions of the schemes are met in order to make sure that the income is available.
“If we can ensure that farmers do what they normally do and grow grass as well as they normally do, using the land that they have, we will be in a good position next year. We all know that by next March or April we will not be able to grow grass or do much in relation to fodder here.As Minister, I will not be able to import fodder as I might have done in previous years.
“We do not have that safety valve. We also cannot be sure that we will have the safety valve of increasing the grain fed to cattle to mitigate a fodder shortage because we cannot be sure that there will be an adequate supply of grain available.
“What we can do is work now to grow grass, silage and hay. That is why the Department and my ministerial colleagues and I are working with farmers to back them in preparing for next winter and spring by putting the fodder scheme in place.
“My message to farmers is to continue doing what they are doing, in terms of really stepping up. It is very important that we recognise that now is the time to act to prevent challenges arising next winter and spring,” he said.
Deputy McNamara asked the minister about lifting tariffs. The minister confirmed he has asked for this and acknowledged “it is disappointing that we have not had action on it yet but I have been asking for it”.
“The current situation around the cost and availability of farm inputs remains a significant concern. The impact the invasion of Ukraine is having on our farm families has been the number one priority the Department in recent months. It will continue to be prioritised.
“Fertiliser prices have increased significantly over the past 12 months and, unfortunately, there is no sign of an easing of prices in the short to medium term.
“Prices are being driven by a number of factors, including global demand, energy prices and availability.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has led to significant hikes in energy prices and significant concerns around supply chain disruption.
“This is being felt at farm level and is something of which that I am acutely aware, as we have discussed,” he said.
