Grass is growing well despite the wet weather and paddocks continue to be taken out and mown for silage. Paddocks are taken out at approximately 2,000kg to 2,200kg DM/ha, but I may reign that back in to between 1,700kg and 1,800kg DM/ha as the sooner the paddock is cut, the sooner the new sward will emerge and, therefore, the earlier grass will translate into elevated quality. Three paddocks were taken out last week.

I also sold 11 heifers at Granard mart recently. They were Blonde d’Aquitaine heifers from Friesian cows, weighing 560kg to 595kg, aged 18 to 20 months. The average price received per heifer was €2.14/kg. These heifers will potentially grade O+/R-. While I was content with these prices, they were not brilliant considering the trade.

The beef trade is good at the moment, but years of price volatility has left many Irish farmers sceptical and it has ramped up a level of distrust and wariness towards meat processors. The relationship between beef farmers and meat processors, our outlet for beef, is highly disappointing and contributes to driving a young generation of farmers away from the beef sector altogether.

Tight margins

Beef farmers are currently operating at very tight margins, with many relying on the Single Farm Payment to keep them in business. If this revenue stream were to be discontinued in the morning, many farmers would have to cease farming altogether. These tight margins are a cocktail of many different reasons, one of which is my aforementioned criticism of meat processors. However, meat processors bear some, but by no means all, of the problem.

Beef farmers must increase on-farm efficiency by bringing down the cost of producing their kilo of beef. This is something which they can control and external factors will contribute very little to this. Basic management principles must be adopted by suckler and beef farmers, such as grazing management and compact calving to increase efficiency. Once this production cost is established, the price received from meat processors will then dictate the level of profitability, and not whether profitability has been achieved.

There needs to be much greater emphasis put on key management areas when it comes to beef production. Irish dairy farmers no longer scorn at the idea of walking paddocks, constructing grass wedges, tail-painting and milk recording. This level of management with an emphasis on beef farms is very rare and it needs to change.