Editorial: grass crisis looming in the southeast

The differences in weather and soil type are hard to fathom. Farmers along the Wild Atlantic Way are doing OK with enough rain and grass.

The same cannot be said for farmers in the southeast; Carlow, Kilkenny and surrounding counties.

They are hardest hit, and it’s not too dramatic to say they are facing a grass crisis as they head into autumn.

In this region, there is no significant rain forecast for at least the next 10 days. Even if it pours rain in 10 days’ time, it will take at least three weeks for the grass plant to change before any substantial growth takes place.

That brings us to early October, and at that stage growth rates are unlikely to be any good.