Drop in fertiliser use threatening opportunities

The opportunities that will arise with abolition of milk quotas in 2015 are being threatened by a significant drop in usage of fertiliser and lime in recent years.

The vast potential for increased production, by making better use of our grassland, is not being exploited.

For example, the average utilisation of grass on dairy farms, according to the National Farm Survey (NFS), is 6.6 tonnes of dry matter per hectare, while the current utilisation in Moorepark is 11 to 12 tonnes per hectare.