Farms of all kinds across Kerry have been badly affected by recent bad weather.
Met Éireann figures, published today, show rainfall at Valentia was nearly three times (280%) the average for this time of year, at 74.2mm in the last seven days alone.
Poor ground conditions mean livestock has remained indoors much longer than usual, forcing farmers to buy addition animal feed, driving up expenditure.
Tillage and vegetable farmers were unable to set winter crops at the end of last year due to bad weather, which has also delayed spring planting.
Vegetable grower in the Spa, near Tralee, Paudie Hanafin says delayed setting reduces yields, putting businesses under pressure:
The bad weather has also compounded the consequences of last year's poor summer and harvest.
Kerry IFA Livestock Officer, Kieran O'Shea says a farmer in Dingle was charged 170 euro for 8-by-4-by-4 bales of barley straw - double 2022 prices.
The Dept. Agriculture's National Fodder and Food Security Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the situation, while Deputy Michael Healy Rae has called for an immediate national fodder scheme to tackle the "crisis".
With Met Éireann forecasting an unsettled week ahead for the south of the country, Mr O'Shea says farmers are spending money that may not have.
Those interviews can be heard in full on Radio Kerry at 7 o'clock this evening during AgriTime with Sari Houlihan.
