Sunshine and showers have bulked silage crops, while limited weather windows have meant contractors are facing high demand as farmers aim to prioritise silage.

Despite the level of urgency surrounding silage harvesting, the workflow can be made less stressful by taking time to plan, even at this late stage, according to the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI).

“Farmers need to understand that each silage contractor’s priority is to get through the harvesting work in the fastest possible time, with no machine breakdowns or safety concerns.

“FCI advises that contractors and their farming customers should plan and agree safe operating procedures, especially with regard to silage pit filling heights, and pit covering procedures, specific to the farm they are working on, before silage commences.

“There must also be a plan in place to manage excess silage where safe pit heights reach their limits”, said the Association.

It added: “Farmers and contractors will benefit from co-ordinating their work activities at this busy time by having a short over-the-phone meeting before work starts to reach a common understanding and establish clear roles.”

FCI advises that the contractor and the farmer need to agree in advance who will be responsible for covering the pit and if there is to be an additional cost for the process.

“If all the contractor’s team are involved in the covering process this will equate to a lost harvesting output of at least 20 acres on the next farm. There is a cost against the contractor of close to €3,000 (20 acres lost x €150/acre plus VAT). Farmers need to be aware of the value of this service that contractors can provide in covering silage pits for customers”, concluded the Association.