This year is an extremely difficult one on farms across the country. With input prices soaring, maintaining economic sustainability is a major task.

While all inputs have increased substantially, fertiliser is the one that is having the biggest knock-on effect. It is a huge limiting factor on fodder supplies on farms across the country.

At the latest meeting of the national fodder and food security committee, Teagasc described the results of its round of surveys from early to mid-April across the different sectors to paint a picture of what is happening nationally.

The results were not altogether bad, but it is clear that there is a large cohort of farmers who are not being proactive in the current situation.

Joe Patton described how two-thirds of dairy farmers who said they were short on silage were in a “wait-and-see” frame of mind.

On drystock farms, 75% surveyed will carry over some silage. Twenty-five per cent of those farmers will carry over at least 20% of their needs. However, 57% will cut nitrogen (N) rates on silage ground and almost half had not spread N on grazing ground at the time of the survey.

Forty-five per cent planned to cut N rates by up to 30%. A further 27% plan to cut by 30% to 50%, according to Pearse Kelly of Teagasc.

Kelly noted that efficient beef farms need a breakeven price of €4.65/kg to €4.80/kg this autumn to cover variable and fixed costs based on current input and store beef prices.

These stats are worrying, but the reality is that many drystock farmers could not afford to buy nitrogen fertiliser when it started to rise last year, so current prices of €1,000/t for CAN are completely unrealistic and, in many cases, do not make sense economically.

However, these farmers need to be pro-active and avoid that “wait-and-see” approach.

The fertiliser they do buy needs to be used efficiently and grassland management needs to be improved where it can be. In the same vein if fertiliser is not being spread, then animal numbers will need to be reduced accordingly.

Target fertiliser

Fertiliser should be targeted to building good stocks of silage. Having soil pH at optimum levels will help to improve fertiliser efficiency so take an opportunity after silage is cut to spread lime where needed. This will start to work as the season moves on, but will benefit the farm into the future as well. It has the potential to offer the greatest return on investment.

Clover

Look for clover in your swards. In swards with clover distributed evenly across fields you may be able to cut nitrogen rates. This can save N or redirect N to fields which have no clover.

Over-sowing with clover into fields with optimum soil pH and at index three for phosphorus and potassium might be an option. This may not have a massive impact on grass growth this year, but fertiliser prices are unlikely to be dramatically more affordable next season either.

Grassland management

Improving grazing infrastructure, fencing and grass measuring can all help to get the most out of grass. This will require an investment, but will help into the future.

This year might be the time to get out the strip wire.

Reduce stock numbers

Reducing stock numbers will most likely be necessary if grass growth is back on the farm. Consider the stock which are not performing at optimum levels.

Fodder budget

Carry out a fodder budget and see what you have and what you need. Running through this with an adviser may be a good idea.

Local tillage farmer

Purchasing some grain from a local tillage farmer at harvest might cut out the middleman and save some money on bought-in feed next winter. If grain is cut at low moisture it may not need to be dried, but most likely drying or treating will need to take place. Storage will also need to be available.

The one thing farmers must do is something.

If nothing is done and you simply wait and see then next winter could be even more costly.