UGS spring visit

The Ulster Grassland Society (UGS) is holding its spring visit on the farm of Cormac Cunningham near Omagh on Wednesday 27 April starting at 10.45am. The theme of the event is “how to improve efficiency, productivity and profitability through better soil and grassland management on dairy, beef and sheep farms”.

The host farm is 56ha in size and is stocked with 140 spring-calving crossbred New Zealand Friesian cross Jersey cows. It is one of three farms farmed by Cunningham and has been leased since 2012. The aim is to produce quality milk, cost effectively, using grass. Cows are yielding 6,000 litres at 3.47% protein and 4.26% fat.

Also speaking at the event is Stan Lalor from Grassland Agro and Jason McMinn from Farmgate Consultancy. To book, email George Reid at secretary@ulstergrassland.co.uk by 25 April. The cost is £10 for members and £15 for non-members.

Flooding compensation scheme opens

The £1,000 Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme for those affected by winter flooding is now open, with application forms available on the relevant district council websites. The scheme closes on Saturday 30 April.

The one-off payment for small businesses, includes farms, and is available where land has been significantly affected by sustained high levels of Lough Neagh and Upper Lough Erne from 7 November to 31 January. A list of qualifying townlands is also shown on the council website.

To qualify, farmland must be actively farmed and included on the 2016 Single Application Form (SAF). It must also have been under water for at least 14 days between 7 November 2015 and 31 January 2016, and the flooded land should be at least 10% of the total land farmed by the applicant.