Scientists at the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute have forecast a high risk of liver fluke infection in sheep and cattle this winter across NI.

High levels of rainfall and monthly temperatures 0.50C above average from May to September have allowed snails to breed and fluke infections to build up within the intermediate host. It has been recommended that farmers review fluke control measures and that livestock access to snail habitats on wet ground should be reduced, if possible.

When using anthelmintics, a product effective against immature and mature forms is needed at this time of year. For outwintered sheep, this should be used at least once in the autumn and potentially again in January.

Treatment of adult infections in cattle and sheep during the winter or early spring will reduce pasture contamination with fluke eggs. Resistance can be an issue on farms, particularly with triclabendazole based products. This can be checked by taking dung samples three weeks after treatment.

AFBI has also said that cases of stomach fluke have been recorded this year. You should contact a vet to discuss testing and treatment options if it is suspected in livestock.

Woman dies in farm accident

A woman died in an accident involving livestock on a Co Derry farm last week.

Breige McKeefry, who was in her 70s, had been working with cattle at the time of the incident on her family farm on the outskirts of Swatragh village.

Having suffered serious injury, Mrs McKeefry was taken to hospital where she later died.

The family are well known within the local farming community.

Lower quality weanlings harder to sell

As BPS payments hit bank accounts last week, one of the beneficiaries of early payment has been the mart trade.

Mart managers report a bigger presence of farmer buyers around the ringside over the past seven days.

With additional buyers, a price lift usually follows. But buyer demand is being restricted to certain types of stock, mainly good quality weanlings.

While weanling sales are ongoing, quality is becoming more variable.

Older, stronger calves were sold earlier this month, leaving younger, lighter, plainer spring-born calves coming on to the market.

Prices for these cattle are being heavily reflected by calf quality.

From the Irish Farmers Journal Martwatch data, prices for top-quality continental bull weanlings weighing 300kg to 400kg averaged £2.08/kg. Heifers in this weight range are selling to an average of £1.98/kg.

Good quality Charolais, Limousin or Blue cross calves are still selling to £2.40/kg for calves weighing 300kg to 350kg.

Plainer types with some Holstein influence are a much harder sell, especially calves below 250kg liveweight.

Prices of £1.60/kg to £1.80/kg are much more representative at some sales this week.

Cereal growers have been urged by UFU seeds and cereals chair Allan Chambers to assess budgets and potential yields before committing to conacre agreements with landowners.

“Currently, it costs around £360/acre to grow and harvest a crop of spring barley. With the grain worth £135/t and only £60/acre for a good crop of straw, most growers will struggle for profitability, even with an above average yield of 2.2t an acre,” said Chambers.