Counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Tipperary were the worst affected by the recent dry spell, with an average decline in grass growth of 14% for the year-to-date compared to 2021.

Waterford was the worst affected county, with PastureBase data showing that the county grew 18% less grass so far in 2022 compared to the same period last year.

The average grass growth in the county is 8.4t DM/ha to date, compared to 9.9t DM/ha for this time last year.

Wexford recorded a 15% reduction in growth, Kilkenny a 12% reduction and Tipperary recorded an 11% reduction in cumulative grass growth.

West

It’s a different story for counties in the west, where growth rates are higher than last year.

Sligo recorded the highest increase, with 10.5t DM/ha grown to date on average compared to 9t DM/ha for the same time last year – a 14% increase.

Farmers in Mayo recorded an 11% increase in grass growth while a 5% increase in grass growth was recorded in Longford.

On average, grass growth rates decreased by 2% across the country this year but are currently running higher than normal on many farms, particularly those that were badly affected by the dry spell in summer.