IGFA, the Irish umbrella organisation for grain and feed, is putting pressure on the Dublin government to come across the bridge with financial support for pig farming. The organization speaks of an ‘unprecedented crisis that requires immediate action’.
Ireland had 1.713 million pigs last year. A large part of the pig farmers lay down their business operations if no help comes, says the umbrella organization IGFA. ‘The situation is getting worse by the day.’IGFA represents compound feed producers, feed importers and the grain receiving and feed mixing companies. Together they produce about 4.7 million tons of feed annually.
IGFA already extended the credit conditions for pig farmers by 30 percent, while at the same time securing the purchase of the raw materials. The organization speaks of a ‘big challenge’.
According to IGFA, 1.4 million tonnes of compound feed are needed annually in Ireland for pigs and poultry. Based on estimates, this equates to a need for nearly 750,000 tonnes of own grain, or about 47 per cent of the total usable grain harvest in Ireland. If the demand for feed falls, it will also have ‘serious consequences’ for Irish arable farmers, the umbrella organization fears.