Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if an investigation has been made into the quantity of fodder available to farmers for winter 2009; if he will address the difficulty facing farmers in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43559/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Up to the start of the fine spell in September and October fodder supplies on farms were reduced because of the impact of high levels of rainfall during the late Spring and throughout the Summer period on grass growth and harvesting conditions.

A survey conducted by Teagasc showed that at least one-third of the farmers who responded said they had inadequate fodder to meet their requirements.

Much of this deficit, however, was made good during the prolonged fine spell in September and October with the result that while supplies are still tight on some farms a serious shortage should not arise. Some farmers are also taking advantage of the good value that exists in the case of concentrate feedstuffs to stretch fodder supplies.

The European Commission's agreement to my request for payment in October of an advance of 70% of the monies due under the Single Payment Scheme, will have been helpful also in alleviating the situation.

Notwithstanding this general situation, it is acknowledged that the recent serious flooding may have caused damage to fodder supplies and may give rise to a resulting feed shortage problem on some livestock farms. In response, I am introducing a fodder aid scheme to provide some financial support towards the purchase of alternative feed material to replace the fodder damaged by the floods. The amount being provided for the scheme is €2 million.