Contractors and farmers are busy in the fields, as ideal weather and ground conditions allow them to push on with work.

Contractors in the south are busy reseeding and sowing grain, while turf-cutting has begun in the west.

In Wexford, contractor and farmer Ray Carton is in planting mode this week, sowing mostly corn and barley. “We’re expecting to be cutting silage in two weeks’ time. Grass growth here is about a fortnight behind last year. It’s slow at the moment,” Carton said.

In the north-east of the country, Co Louth contractor Paul Shevlin said grass growth had slowed in the area. “Strong crops were grazed, but they’re not growing back as quickly as they were expected to. Here, we’re putting maize into the ground.” He expects silage dates this year to be on par with last year.

In Munster, contractors in Cork are reporting that reseeding and cereal sowing are the order of the week.

In Clare, a contractor told the Irish Farmers Journal that he is spreading slurry for dairy farmers at the moment and reseeding is also underway. On silage, he said that grass growth in the county is well ahead on last year, with a cut of early silage to be baled this week. “Growth is slow at the moment, for farmers who grazed the crop. We’re hoping to start cutting silage in the second week of May,” he said.

Turf cutting

Meanwhile, turf cutting has started in the west of the country, with contractors reporting good conditions for cutting. Dermot Breheny from Killimor, Co Galway, said that turf cutting is going well at the moment. “There’s good weather for it. We’re also cutting peat here, which we send to Holland.”

In Mayo, contractor Michael Ruane said turf cutting has also started in the county and some lime spreading is ongoing. While further north and on the Sligo/Roscommon border, Dermot Casey, is finishing up spreading lime on pasture, with slurry spreading almost completed as well.