AS FARMERS come under mounting pressure to save this year's harvest, the Health Safety Authority has warned of increased danger due to fatigue and overwork.
The authority's chief executive, Martin O'Halloran, said he was aware of the pressure on farmers to catch up on the harvest and this would increase dangers on farms.
"We need to get the harvest in, but not at the cost of more lives lost in farming," he said.
Mr O'Halloran's statement came as weather conditions improved slightly and farmers started to harvest silage and cereals after a delay of over three weeks.
"Of the 43 workplace fatalities this year, 30 per cent, 13, have occurred in agriculture. In total, there were 11 fatalities in the sector in 2007, so with over four months remaining in 2008, last year's figures have already been exceeded. The reduction we saw in 2007 has now been reversed and 13 families have experienced tragedy this year in the farming community," he added.
"This is a very busy time for farmers as they are trying to harvest their produce. I hope that farmers will plan their work in advance and not take short cuts when it comes to their safety. Worker fatigue and rushing can be major causes of accidents on farms at this time of year," he said.
He asked farmers to keep children out of harvesting fields and said in damp conditions, particularly around machinery, accidents can happen.
Yesterday, as the Irish Farmers' Journal reported that up to 80 per cent of the second crop of silage remained uncut and the fate of the cereal crop was on the edge, Teagasc issued advice to farmers on how to cope with the situation.
"The cereal harvest is on hold due to the poor weather leaving tillage farmers' season hanging in the balance. Heavy rains have left many cereal crops under water with potential quality and yield losses increasing daily," it said.
It said given the difficult conditions, it was advising tillage farmers to give priority to harvesting the most valuable crops first.
"Have harvesting and drying equipment ready to go when conditions are suitable for cutting. Take every opportunity to cut," it added.
Teagasc said on some livestock farms, dairy cows and beef cattle have been re-housed due to flooding and to avoid further poaching of the land and subsequent deterioration of grass utilisation. It suggested farmers need to adopt a flexible approach to grazing, to provide larger grazing areas to livestock and to watch out for a greater risk of fluke in sheep.
Yesterday, Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith extended the deadline for spreading slurry for some farmers in the Rural Environmental Protection Schemes from August 31st to October 15th because of ground conditions.
Farm organisations are already seeking an early payout of their EU single-farm payment and an extension of the time they have been given to qualify for grants to build waste management facilities.