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Farmers should put 1t of fresh silage per cow in reserve in light of this year’s fodder crisis, Teagasc’s head of animal and grassland research Pat Dillon has said.
This is based on measurements showing that the grass grown so far this year was one-third of that grown over the same period last year. “This means you’re 14 days short,” Dillon said. “You need some buffer in the system.”
Dillon said this does not mean changing farm systems, because farmers only need to build this reserve once.
“You carry it from year to year,” he said, adding that the advice was valid for suckler as well as dairy farmers.
“We were probably too tight on budgeting, basing it on an average year – this year wasn’t average,” he admitted.
This is because exceptionally wet periods are becoming more frequent.
“In 10 years’ time, the buffer might be 1.5t,” he said.
Dillon rejected the suggestion that dairy expansion had caused the crisis, pointing out it had not taken place when the previous shortages hit in 2013. He said the stocking rate had only increased from 1.9 to 2 LU/ha. “That’s not a reason for the squeeze. It’s purely weather-related,” he said.
Dillon said there was no issue keeping a buffer of silage for several years at the back of a pit “if it’s good quality silage and well sealed”.
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