The 20,000ha of fodder crops sown on tillage land under the Fodder Production Incentive Scheme are growing well and are on course to produce 80,000t of fodder dry matter. This is the equivalent of up to 400,000 bales of fresh silage and it will make a significant contribution to lessening the national fodder deficit.

The positive assessment of crops comes from Teagasc drystock adviser Hugh Mahon, based in Co Carlow.

“Crops obviously vary, but on average are performing well. Much of the variation is due to how soon after sowing crops got rainfall. That was luck of the draw.”

Grazing of the most advanced crops of fodder rape will start this week, he said. Most or all of the rape and stubble turnip crops grown under the scheme – which together total 13,400ha – will be strip-grazed by sheep and cattle.

If weather continues to be favourable then dry matter yield of these crops will generally be in the range of 3t-5t/ha and could average 4t/ha.

Depending on weather over the coming weeks, some of the 6,100ha of grass crops sown under the scheme could be baled as silage, with the remainder grazed in situ.

Dry matter yields will generally be in the range of 4t-5t/ha.

Hugh Mahon warned that successful ensiling of these grass crops may require wilting and even spreading of molasses on the grass rows.

“Teagasc has tested some samples. Nitrates are very high and sugars very low.”

Some farmers have expressed interest in mowing and baling fodder rape crops. Again, ensiling this material could be difficult as dry matter levels in these crops are generally only about 13%, Mahon said.