Irish farmers are "facing a meltdown" as continuing bad weather seems certain to ruin crops, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Teagasc.
Farmers in the Leinster and Munster areas are facing a crisis similar to that of 1993, when huge amounts of crops were ruined by bad weather. Since then the number of farmers working in this sector has fallen.
A spokesman for the IFA, Mr Derek Cunningham, told ireland.comthat of the 350 or so farmers working in horticulture some would almost certainly "go to the wall."
The horticulture industry in Ireland is worth about €60 million annually, and serious losses are expected as a result of adverse weather conditions this year.
The IFA’s National Field Vegetable Market Co-ordinator, Mr PJ Jones, recently warned of serious implications for the fresh produce industry due to the recent heavy rainfall.
"The water table is at an all time high for this time of year. Crop damage is now imminent if the bad weather continues."
Mr Jones continued: "In similar circumstances in 1993, one in three growers went out of business due to bad weather at a key time in the growing season. This situation underlines the vulnerability of the horticultural industry."
Mr Jones warned that growers in this intensive agriculture sector will not be able to sustain such losses.
Dr Tom Kelly, Development Manager with Teagasc, has said that "the current wet spell has resulted in the worst May and June in recent memory with serious implications for grass growth, silage making and cereal crops".
Dr Kelly said that silage making is at a standstill with less than 10 per cent of the normal acreage harvested. Grass growth and grazing conditions are also severely affected. He added that "the current difficulties will lead to knock-on problems with grass supply later in the season".
Teagasc has announced that the full resources of the organisation are available to farmers who are affected by the continuing bad weather. Advisory clinics will be held in Teagasc offices where farmers can get assistance.
The IFA is currently seeking a meeting with Teagasc to assess the likely damage, which will be compounded by further poor weather forecast for this weekend.