Farmers who have silage they can sell are invited to ring their Teagasc office to get it listed on the forage register.

A text will go out to Teagasc clients asking them to register their fodder supplier and a list of names, telephone numbers and details of forage will be made available to those looking for forage.

“It is important to act now and complete a feed budget which will indicate how much silage can be fed on a daily basis to stock to stretch the feed and how the balance of requirements can be met from grass and supplements,” Dermot McCarthy, head of the Teagasc advisory service said after a meeting with Department officials and dairy co-operatives in Moorepark last Thursday.

Fodder clinics are planned in local advisory offices and support is available over the phone from Teagasc advisors.

“Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied immediately to ensure maximum grass growth once temperatures begin to rise towards normal levels,” Dr Siobhan Kavanagh, Teagasc regional advisory manager for Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford, said. “ Farmers need to be flexible and get stock out to graze dry ground, when possible. However, all farmers should avoid starting the second grazing rotation until mid-April at the earliest.”

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