Farmers were encouraged to fill in the national fodder census that was launched at the Teagasc Beef 2018 Grange open day and they have followed the recommendation with 753 responses already.

It is hoped that the fodder survey will help to indicate how fodder stocks stand nationally in the coming months as winter approaches. The survey was launched by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and its aim is to help to prevent a second national fodder crisis.

Layout of the survey

Section one of the documentation asks you for the number of animals your farm will keep throughout the winter period. Section two of the plan asks you to detail the amount of silage you have cut at present, the amount of silage you intend to cut throughout the rest of the summer and, thirdly, the number of bales you will have once the summer harvesting season has ended.

Finally, the document uses the estimates from part two to outline whether you should expect a shortage of fodder when meeting demands feeding livestock throughout the winter period.

Get involved

To be informed about the Fodder Plan-Winter 2018 requirement document, read the following article.

You can get involved and complete the survey by clicking here.

What do you need to fill out on your 2018 fodder plan?

Over 750 responses to the Teagasc fodder survey

The national fodder census, which was set up in the wake of the spring fodder crisis by the Department of Agriculture and Teagasc, has received a lot of attention so far.