A welcome break in the weather at the weekend saw farmers baling straw, a combine in Donegal harvesting the remnants of spring barley and slurry spreading.

Cappoquin, Co Waterford, farmer Kevin Looby finally got a chance to bale spring barley straw. The straw was on the ground since late August and it was only at the weekend that it was dry enough to bale. It will be used for bedding stock.

In Donegal, work began this weekend on Drumbuoy Farm, Newtowncunningham, to clear a small field of spring barley which could not be harvested last autumn due to poor weather conditions.

In an attempt to capture value from the April-sown spring cereal, David Elder took advantage of the improved weather conditions and ran his combine through the 3.5 acre field last Saturday.

In Meath, contractor Brendan Moynagh was baling barley straw almost six months after it was cut.

The dry spell also came as a relief to farmers who were getting tight for slurry space.

In Mandistown, Drumcondrath, Co Meath, Mark O’Brien was spreading slurry for contractor Kevin Meade and farmer Joe Callan using an umbilical cord system attached to the farm’s lagoon pit, which contains 250,000 gallons of slurry.

Farmers across the country were also busy ploughing, spreading fertiliser and even pulling fodder beet.

The dry spell did not last too long, as the so-called “beast from the east” hit Ireland on Tuesday and Wednesday.

More snow, ice and frost is forecast on Friday which will again put an end to field work.

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