The National Fodder and Feed Security Committee is to meet on Tuesday amid rising farm sector concern around the impact of this summer’s drought on the approaching winter’s fodder supplies.

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon convened the meeting of farm groups, industry bodies and Teagasc in a bid to help gauge the fodder situation across the country.

Many farms on parts of the south and east have yet to receive rain after weeks of soil moisture deficits, leaving current grass growth rates lagging at just one-tenth of their average levels in these parts.

Teagasc’s fodder survey is still collecting farm-level data but very early indications from provisional data indicates that the sector’s fodder reserves are better-placed than they were in the exceptionally challenging year of 2018.

However, it is to be the next few weeks’ rainfall that will determine whether the east and south of the country are to face feed shortages in the months ahead, the committee is to hear next week.

Feeding levels

The decent grass growing months of April and May left feed stocks at normal-to-above-normal levels on most farms.

But in the east of the country, these stocks are being chipped away by the day as the almost non-existent growth is requiring supplementation to fill 75% to 100% of herds’ intake needs.

The impact of favourable late-spring to early-summer weather more than offset by a challenging mid-to-late summer has left average grass growth back 0.5t DM/ha year-to-date on a whole-country basis.

This average includes growth in parts of the north and west that are tracking at or near normal levels, as well as the less-harshly impacted counties of the south-west, which are still witnessing grass growth rates are just 50% to 75% of typical levels, highlighting the varying impact of the drought by location.

The committee will meet against the backdrop of the prolonged spell of supplementary feeding adding enormous costs to affected farms’ bills in a year of trailing farmgate prices and high fertiliser cost.

Minister puts out call for figures

“We will get an interim update on the fodder situation from Teagasc, Minister Heydon will listen carefully to farming organisations and a discussion will follow,” a spokesperson for the minister said.

“This is a fluid situation; it is one that is very concerning and we do need to get hard numbers on feed availability.

“All farmers should fill out Teagasc’s ongoing fodder survey on PastureBase or reach out their adviser to complete it for them if they are unable to do so themselves.”

The minister has stressed to farmers the importance of heeding Teagasc advice on managing whatever fodder reserves are hand.

This advice includes ensuring all animals have adequate access to feed and water, reviewing feed budgets on a weekly basis and extending rotation lengths beyond typical intervals where necessary.

Farmers have been warned not to exceed concentrate feeding rates of 6kg per head per day but to fill grass deficits with a mix of 50% grass silage and 50% concentrates.

The advice to farmers in the east and south who are experiencing condition soil moisture deficits is to hold off spreading fertiliser until after adequate rainfall arrives.