While farmers across much of Britain struggle with a lack of grass and poor crop yields due to a dry spring and summer, it is the complete opposite in NI, where 2025 will go down as one the best growing years in living memory.

In particular, the country is awash with grass silage, much of which has been taken off in excellent conditions. Initial reports would suggest that the quality of first-cuts is well up on other years, although perhaps not quite as good as expected in some cases, which is probably due to grass going to seed fairly quickly due to dry weather in mid-May.

However, silage dry matters are nearly all over 30%, which should ensure intakes are good, although one issue for those farmers who feed silage year round, will be to ensure they are able to go up the pit quick enough to avoid it heating up in warm weather.

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In many cases it is likely that second- and third-cuts will be of better quality than the first-cut. Most of it has been ensiled in dry weather – it is rare that so much third-cut has been secured by the first week of August.

Pits are full and there is also a lot of grass in fields, which will only be added to by silage aftermaths coming into the rotation. Some farmers probably think they have too much grass, although it is important to remember that quality doesn’t deteriorate during August in the same way it does in the spring.

10-year average

However, the evidence from around NI relating to an abundance of grass, is not backed up by the GrassCheck grass growth data, which suggests that total growth to date in 2025 is well behind the 10-year average.

It highlights a flaw in how growth is measured, with GrassCheck relying on data from long-term grass plots at CAFRE Greenmount and AFBI Hillsborough. Both farms are in the east and as the crow flies, probably less than 20 miles apart.