Protecting feed and herds during exceptional weather is a challenge.  Clonmel Covers can provide immediate solutions with the custom manufacture of windbreakers for sheds which provide cover and reduce wind velocity while still allowing ventilation for sheep, cattle, dairy stock, straw and hay.  We also provide a range of protective covers for all farm machinery.

IFA President Barry Downey visited farms yesterday in the Shannon catchment area to assess the most recent damage.  The Shannon burst its banks and caused extensive localised flooding. He emphasised that the situation is critical for farmers along Ireland’s major rivers with livestock.

Continued risk areas include hinterlands of the Shannon, Nore, Blackwater, Suir, Barrow and Slaney rivers.

Grazing land has been destroyed by debris from high tides; sea stones, seaweed and salt water render the land unrecognisable.  Fences and ditches washed away and roads blocked with sediment.  Reclaiming and reseeding damaged land can take up to a year and difficulties with where to put herds add to farmer’s stresses and losses.

Increased calls for the Easy Fit Windbreaker For Sheds.

Many farmers are finding solutions to the challenge of housing animals and Clonmel Covers over the past few weeks have had a noticeable increase in the amount of calls for advise and orders for made to measure, easy fit windbreaker for sheds. While many farmers are struggling to recover from weather damage in the last two years. Teagasc have issued a low-call helpline (1850 211 990) to contact if farmers have difficulty with animal welfare or feed stock levels and cannot feed their animals.

This week Enda Kenny announced an emergency fund of €15m to help alleviate the humanitarian cost of flood damage to householders, farms and businesses.  This will be reviewed in line with further potential disruption from continued storm warnings for the country.  Payments will be issued through Department of the Environment and it is estimated that 100,000 families are without insurance cover due to living and working in high flood risk areas.  Labour TD Kevin Humphreys argued in the Dail that Insurance companies are too slow to adjust their risk-ratings when millions of taxpayers Euros have been spent on flood defences.

10,000 faults have been reported with extensive damage caused to telephone and broadband lines nationwide. The farming Twitter community may be temporarily disrupted but IFA Telecom are working closely with Eircom on these repair works.