With hay and second-cut silage being made in many parts of the east, the fine weather has given farmers in the west a chance to play catch-up.

The prolonged bad weather from winter 2015 throughout spring along with the summer flooding and continuous damp wet weather has left many farms west of the Shannon too wet and inaccessible for machinery until now.

The sun finally shone this week, with temperatures hitting as high as 30°C on Tuesday. Farmers and contractors are enjoying the busiest week of the year.

Bleak in the west

Leitrim IFA vice chair and Ballinamore farmer Des McHugh said: “The overall picture of the silage harvest seems to be quite bleak in the west. Silage harvesting is two to three weeks overdue and this is having severe implications on the overall quality and digestibility of silage.”

ICSA Leitrim chair Gerry McGroarty said that “some farmers, especially small farmers and farmers who have no silage machinery, are fearful that contractors will not be able to cut their silage before the weather deteriorates again.”

Selective

He added that some farmers are having to be selective about certain fields being able to carry machinery.

The delay in the silage season has meant that farmers will not be able to take a second cut in the west.

Regardless of the county, contractors have reported significantly increased activity. Roscommon silage contractor, Martin Fleming said “yields are looking good and farmers are getting on average 10 bales to14 bales per acre.”

With forecasts of rain over the weekend, farmers will be anxiously waiting to see what volume of rain falls.