Second-cut silage yields across the west are exceeding those of the first-cut, as strong grass growth over the last two months has helped bulk up crops.

Yields of 8-10 round bales to the acre are being recorded by silage contractors, for ground that has been reseeded over the last few years.

Yields off old pasture are lower and generally range from 6 to 8 bales per acre.

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Although second cuts in the west have been disrupted due to the recent rain, mowers and balers are now back in action.

Agricultural contractor Marty Lenihan from Lissadell in north Sligo said second-cut crops have been heavy in comparison to other years.

Crops are generally yielding around 7-8 bales to the acre on old pasture, with reseeded ground faring better.

“Yields are about even with the first cut, and the quality is very good,” Lenihan said.

It was a similar story in south Galway, according to Gort-based contractor Paul McAllen of McAllen Agri.

“Yields were stronger than the first cuts in some places, and the quality was really good,” McAllen said.

Strong yields have also been recorded in north Galway.

“They’re every bit as heavy as the first [cuts],” a contractor from the Tuam area commented.

Data from PastureBase for the period from 1 June to 21 July 2025 shows grass growth in the west is running well ahead of last year.

Grass growth averaged 70kgsDM/ha/day during the seven-week period, which was 15-16kgsDM/ha/day above average requirements on farms.

Catherine Egan of Teagasc Athenry said the grass surpluses have enabled farmers to take paddocks out of grazing rotations.

It has also given farmers the space to allow second-cut crops to bulk up, which wasn’t the case for many if the crops harvested during the first cuts.

Egan maintained that some of the first-cut crops harvested in May were “super quality”, while most of the second-cuts were very good.

This will deliver “huge savings” in terms of the meal purchases as the winter progresses, she added.

“Most farmers are now in a good position for the winter,” Egan said.

The good grass growth this year has also facilitated increased reseeding activity, according to well-known Knock dairy farmer Jarlath Walsh.

“We have reseeded a good lot of ground this year. We are taking a third cut of silage next week from some of the reseeded land, and might even take a fourth cut if we are still short of bales,” Walsh said.

Strong grass growth and very good silage crops have also been a feature of the farming year in Donegal

PastureBase figures put grass growth in the county this week at 66kgDM/ha/day.

Donegal IFA dairy chair Ian Witherow said it has been a very early year in the northwest for silage, with both second and first-cut yields described as very good.

Witherow operates a multi-cut system on the family’s organic dairy farm, and he said yields have been a par with previous years.

“We’ve had plenty of rain, sunshine and heat this spring and summer, unlike other years, and it has been good year for grass,” he said.