The situation is very serious on some farms, not every farm, but where there is a serious problem, help should be made available by the Department of Agriculture.
The likely fodder shortage was highlighted as a potential problem in the northwest as far back as last October.
Constant rain since the previous July prevented farmers getting a decent second cut of silage and caused livestock to be housed early. Add to this a late spring and virtually zero grass growth and you have a problem.
The fodder transport scheme was illogical from the day it was announced. Funding a meal voucher scheme for farmers in need, would be far more beneficial to the local economy, as it would provide extra employment in agri-stores and feed mills.
Therefore the state coffers would get a return for their investment, through increased employment taxes.
The fodder transport scheme was illogical from the day it was announced.
Over the weekend I read some articles in national newspapers stating that as a country we are overstocked and cannot produce enough fodder for our livestock. This is clearly not the case as much of our farms are not producing anywhere near maximum potential for a myriad of reasons.
The current farm payments structure and the low margins in many sectors, has led some farmers to try and cut costs, however in many cases the cutting of costs has been a false economy.
Teagasc and Aurivo held a joint event last week called 'Silage 75'. The farm walk encouraged farmers to make better-quality silage this year. Despite the terrible weather on the evening, there was a large crowd in attendance, which shows the interest farmers have in trying to improve their farm system.
Aiming for silage, with 75% DMD (dry matter digestibility) or better, getting 75 units of nitrogen on silage ground in April and savings of €75 per livestock unit on meal were some of the aims of the event.
The simple take-home messages were:
Apply an extra bag of nitrogen to the acre.Cut silage a week earlier and with a better-quality silage in the pit or in bales there won’t be a need for as much meal or indeed as much silage.All very simple practicable messages that any farmer can achieve with a bit of planning. That is, until they realise that the cash they were expecting from GLAS, Knowledge Transfer or other scheme has not been paid as is due and they can’t afford the extra bag of fertiliser this month.
No business can survive without cashflow and putting a plan in place. By the Department of Agriculture delaying payments for reasons such as IT problems, places entire farm systems in jeopardy and the result can be seen today. Low interest loans announced in the last budget have not yet been released and could provide great relief to farmers at this time.
Farmers are not looking for handouts, just some reasonable help and funding provided where due and earned.
Read more
Demand for fodder putting Welsh farmers under pressure
Farmer writes: A tough time physically, mentally and financially
The situation is very serious on some farms, not every farm, but where there is a serious problem, help should be made available by the Department of Agriculture.
The likely fodder shortage was highlighted as a potential problem in the northwest as far back as last October.
Constant rain since the previous July prevented farmers getting a decent second cut of silage and caused livestock to be housed early. Add to this a late spring and virtually zero grass growth and you have a problem.
The fodder transport scheme was illogical from the day it was announced. Funding a meal voucher scheme for farmers in need, would be far more beneficial to the local economy, as it would provide extra employment in agri-stores and feed mills.
Therefore the state coffers would get a return for their investment, through increased employment taxes.
The fodder transport scheme was illogical from the day it was announced.
Over the weekend I read some articles in national newspapers stating that as a country we are overstocked and cannot produce enough fodder for our livestock. This is clearly not the case as much of our farms are not producing anywhere near maximum potential for a myriad of reasons.
The current farm payments structure and the low margins in many sectors, has led some farmers to try and cut costs, however in many cases the cutting of costs has been a false economy.
Teagasc and Aurivo held a joint event last week called 'Silage 75'. The farm walk encouraged farmers to make better-quality silage this year. Despite the terrible weather on the evening, there was a large crowd in attendance, which shows the interest farmers have in trying to improve their farm system.
Aiming for silage, with 75% DMD (dry matter digestibility) or better, getting 75 units of nitrogen on silage ground in April and savings of €75 per livestock unit on meal were some of the aims of the event.
The simple take-home messages were:
Apply an extra bag of nitrogen to the acre.Cut silage a week earlier and with a better-quality silage in the pit or in bales there won’t be a need for as much meal or indeed as much silage.All very simple practicable messages that any farmer can achieve with a bit of planning. That is, until they realise that the cash they were expecting from GLAS, Knowledge Transfer or other scheme has not been paid as is due and they can’t afford the extra bag of fertiliser this month.
No business can survive without cashflow and putting a plan in place. By the Department of Agriculture delaying payments for reasons such as IT problems, places entire farm systems in jeopardy and the result can be seen today. Low interest loans announced in the last budget have not yet been released and could provide great relief to farmers at this time.
Farmers are not looking for handouts, just some reasonable help and funding provided where due and earned.
Read more
Demand for fodder putting Welsh farmers under pressure
Farmer writes: A tough time physically, mentally and financially
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