Farmers in the Shannon Callows, the lowland plains along the river which flood annually, say that water levels this year are at heights not experienced for nearly a decade.
While rainfall levels have not been at record level, the fact that it has rained every day since the middle of last month has meant flood levels have been maintained.
During a visit to an area just south of Athlone, Co Westmeath, yesterday, the president of the Irish Farmers Association, Pádraig Walshe, called for systematic drainage to be carried out.
Mr Walshe, who was visiting the farm of Fintan Nally just south of Athlone, called for a co-ordinated approach to managing the high winter water levels.
It was particularly important, he said, that the ESB be forced to lower water levels on Lough Derg, downriver, to bring some relief to the farmers upstream.
"There needs to be dredging done in the parts of the river that have silted, weirs and channels must be cleaned and river margins banked in certain areas," he added.
Mr Walshe said the current flooding was causing real problems for farmers. Cattle sheds had nearly two feet of water in them and some farmers have had to move stock to be housed elsewhere.
The IFA president said he would be pressing Minister of State at the Office of Public Works Tom Parlon to bring forward a relief scheme as soon as possible.
"Farmers are finding it very difficult to manage stock in these conditions. High water on local roads is adding to the difficulties and leading to economic and humanitarian problems," he added.
A Teagasc spokesman said: "We are not aware of any scarcity of cattle feed, but some of the farmers who live with the annual flood and plan for it tell us that the floods are the highest in a decad.e."