Costs going through the roof
FARM input costs are ‘going through the roof’ while some machine parts are now impossible to source – that was the warning this week from a leading Galway IFA official.
Henry Walsh, Galway IFA Environmental Representative, told the Farming Tribune, that an air of reality needed to creep back into the farming scene with ‘too much optimism around’ about prices for stock, milk and crops.
“The simple fact of the matter is that over the course of the past year, fertilisers prices have doubled while fuel, feed and electricity charges are also shooting up.
“It seems to be a combination of factors starting off with Brexit, then there was the Suez Canal blockage, gas prices have shot up, while there seems to be a huge demand in Asia for a range of products,” said Henry Walsh.
He said that many farmers, including himself, had also come across real difficulties over recent months in sourcing spare parts after a machinery breakdown.
“Whereas in the past, it was just a matter of calling into a dealer and picking up a part, they just don’t seem to be able to source these items anymore. This can lead to real disruption in terms of everyday farm work,” said Henry Walsh.
He added that in relation to the fertiliser situation, many of the merchants and co-ops had decided to ‘step back’ from the market as prices spiralled over recent weeks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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