Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is a crisis and it is predominantly felt along the west coast. I travelled to Dublin by train this morning and the fields are black instead of green because there is nothing growing in them. Farmers have been perturbed mentally by what is happening. They are in dire straits financially, but as one of the Deputies representing the western region pointed out, this is a factor due to the weather, it is not political. The issue was raised by Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív on 28 March and I believe it was the Tánaiste who replied to him. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, has dealt with the issue adequately and I particularly like his current strategy. Rather than pouring money at the problem which would have been the solution of those who went before us, he has decided to front-load the solution by including as much stock as possible to ensure a problem will not arise next year, if we do not have good quality grass available.

In an article in the Irish Independent on 19 February a veterinarian surgeon, Mr. Donal Murphy, from Rathmore stated we would have problems owing to the poor quality of grass. He said the fat content of animals was down and that we were looking at a higher incidence of liver fluke in calves as a result of the poor quality grass production. He also said silage quality in the following year would possibly be decreased owing to the level of rainfall. At that stage people were paying between €25 and €30 for a round bale and anybody who does basic mathematics will tell us that if one has a decent sized farm and we are heading toward the middle of May and one still has animals indoors, one has a huge problem.

The banks have been helpful. They are trying to lend money to the agricultural sector. I often use the acronym TEAM - team, energy, agri-business and microenterprise - which will help us greatly to move forward and resolve the issue. The co-operatives have decided to grasp the nettle. They are giving credit to farmers. They are sourcing silage, hay and maize silage from France and England. It is appropriate that we give them a one week window, but if we have to learn a lesson from this crisis it is that, in terms of Food Harvest 2020, we need to have a reserve in place.

It is not a question of having to send a text to the Minister every time one throws a round bale into the slatted unit. It is more about the fact that managing stock and stock density is increasingly important. If we are trading commodities - grass is a commodity - it may be worth looking at the possibility of striking a deal with the British and French so that if we hit a crisis again next year, we will have an agreed price and can purchase at that price. An option is what we are looking for. Overall, the Minister is doing the right thing and the country will be better off for it.

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