Fianna Fáil has launched a new emergency action plan to combat the fodder and income crisis for farmers.
The plan has been launched during the week of the National Ploughing Championships and contains 10 instructions on how the party thinks the government should act to support farmers.
Donegal TD and Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Agriculture and Food, Charlie McConalogue said that his party is standing with rural communities and farming families by ‘once more highlighting the inept policy response by government to the fodder crisis that has quickly morphed into an income crisis.’
Deputy McConalogue said: “The government must at once bring forward a nationally financed hardship fund to help farmers who have been severely impacted by the fodder crisis, escalating costs, falling cattle prices and extreme weather conditions all year. This would provide funding to support farmers sourcing feed and fodder and deal with mounting input costs.
“While Minster Creed has secured enhanced flexibility from the EU on the GLAS scheme, Irish farmers, who are quite simply living on the breadline, have only received token additional funding when compared to farmers in other countries.
“For example, the Swedish government is helping its struggling farmers by allocating €117 million to cover feed shortages for livestock and income loss. Germany is committing over €300 million to its farmers in supports.”
Party Food and Horticulture Spokesperson, Jackie Cahill TD added: “Irish farmers are in the midst of a national emergency putting a huge strain on their mental health and creating animal welfare issues. This crisis once more shows how out of touch Fine Gael is with rural Ireland with no urgency shown in bringing forwarding solutions.”