Cash surplus is the ultimate measure of the farm business this year, according Irish Farmers Journal dairy specialist Aidan Brennan.

"We can't control prices but we can control costs," he said, adding that some farms should protect farm cash this year by postponing expansion.

He highlighted that the best dairy farmers are adding 5-6 cents per litre on top of the base milk price through higher solids.

Achieving higher solids is a long term project, but short term the best method is reducing silage fed, especially early in the season. "There are potentially 56 grazings in February - you can't graze every day on every farm, but challenge yourself to do more".

"Even in a good year, silage will never drive higher solids". Grazing in February will also have a positive impact on the quality of grass later in the season, he pointed out.

"The biggest impact on feed costs is the farmer himself/herself," Aidan Brennan said. He recommended the spring rotation planner as a simple and effective tool.

If cash is going to be very tight, taking a 'P & K holiday' might be appropriate, he said. However one farmer in the audience suggested that farmers not having index 4 soils should continue to build up soil fertility. Better use of slurry is also appropriate for many farmers.

"Target for vet costs should be less than 1.5c per litre," Aidan Brennan said. Pooling labour with a neighbour can also be used to reduce costs.

He also advised farmers to keep long term productivity in mind when dealing with a short term super levy issue this spring. "You want cows to milk on well from 1 April," he said.