Farmers don’t want to spread slurry on valuable grass
Agriculture and Environment Ministers Simon Coveney and Phil Hogan have been asked to immediately assure farmers that if trafficability and soil nutrient demand improve, an extension will be granted to the period during which chemical and organic fertilisers can be spread.
In most southern counties, it is prohibited to spread chemical fertiliser from September 15 to mid-January, and to spread slurry from October 15 to mid-January.
“If farmers can manage their fertiliser spreading over the next number of weeks, instead of racing to meet an inflexible deadline, then significant feed costs can be reduced. In autumn every extra day at grass saves approximately €2.10/cow/day or €2.3 million/day to the dairy sector alone when compared to the cost of feeding on concentrates,” said IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Chairman Harold Kingston.
nGrass has become a valuable feed due to rising grain prices and summer weather conditions which left many farmers short of winter feed.
Teagasc says good quality silage (72 DMD) is worth up to €31/bale, relative to current grain prices. Moderate quality silage (65 DMD) is worth up to €28/bale (delivered prices).
Advisors say first-cut silage baled in July six to seven weeks later than normal will be very low in digestibility, and similar to straw in feeding value.
Pitted silage is worth €3-4/tonne more than bales.
