Inishowen Sinn Féin councillor Jack Murray has said that he has been contacted by many local farmers who are concerned at the effect heavy rainfall has had on silage stocks. Cllr Murray said that the government must prepare for the expected fall in silage harvest due to the wet weather throughout the month of June.
Cllr Murray said: “I have been contacted by many local farmers who are concerned that the heavy rainfall in June has seriously hampered their ability to harvest silage for the winter. Many farmers were forced to re-house their herds as a result of their fields being waterlogged.
“This puts pressure on any remaining silage that they may have had since last winter. The wet weather has also had a significant effect on milk yields which puts further financial pressure on dairy farmers.
“The government must now take measures to ensure that farmers do not take a big financial hit because of the bad weather. Minister Coveney needs to take preemptive action and consider an advance Single Farm Payment which would help alleviate the financial pressure that farmers are now under.”
Cllr Murray concluded by stating that Minister Coveney has a responsibility to ensure there are sufficient supplies of animal feed for the winter should the bad weather continue into the summer,
