Alex Butler, Mullingar, Co Westmeath

“The weather is ideal for hay making. We’re using the fine spell to get ahead. Grass is still leafy, which will leave hay looking a little green but the weather is with us so we can give it an extra day on the ground.

"Although hay is slightly green, it is dry and there’s no heat in the bales either. We make large, square bales as they are preferred by our customers. They’re also easier to transport.

"Yields are down as we’re cutting earlier than usual but quality is up. As we’re cutting two or three weeks ahead of time, there is a possibility of a third cut.”

Eddie Egan Agri, Co Roscommon

"Crops are every light [for hay] as it is early in the year, but it is easier to save it with this good weather. We have been baling hay all weekend. Some of the hay is only three or four days cut. There is good quality but it’s just about being careful to not let it burn up.

"Regrowth is a problem for farmers that are heavily stocked and cut silage early. They are running out of grass fast. We have not being putting slurry or fertilizer out once the weather changes it will be all go.

"The general price being charged in our area seems to be around €35 for round bales of hay this year. There doesn’t seem to be much demand for buying hay yet, but a lot of my customers make their own as they are a lot of sheep farmers around here.

"I can see a lot of farmers going for hay to try cut back on the price of plastic wrap as its gone through the roof."

David Collins, Collins Bros Agri, Co Wicklow

There is a small demand for hay. It's early yet but we send a lot of hay to the west. Farmers are afraid to sell the hay yet with this drought coming.

"We are looking at €40 a bale for hay it’s gone up on recent years due to the cost of everything else going up.

Quality is good. The grass is soft. I’d prefer to see farmers making haylage that is of good quality. Wrapping might be a cost but turning the hay every few days to get it dry enough to bale is also a cost."