Six Irish farmers bid for Yara Grass Prix
Their opponents in the Yara Grass Prix competition will include fellow dairy farmers Danny and Patrick Cremin from Co Limerick, and Eddie Jordan, the dairy farm manager at UCD’s Lyons Estate farm in Co Kildare.
“For 2015 we have six Irish entrants, and are determined to claim the winning title for Ireland this year,” says Yara’s Irish Business Manager, Nicholas Morrison. “We have one of the best climates for grass growth so, with added attention to detail, there is no reason we shouldn’t be celebrating an Irish winner.”
Also in the competition line-up are Northern Ireland’s David and Ian Murphy, dairy farmers from Co Armagh; Alan Wallace, a dairy farmer from Co Antrim; and Robert Bryson, a dairy farmer from Co Down.
But they will all have their work cut out to match or to exceed the achievements of last year’s winner, Scottish dairy farmer Willie Watson, who will be defending his title.
He won the competition by producing the highest Metabolised Energy yield over two cuts of silage, which helped him achieve average cow yield of 11,000 litres.
His ME yield of 183,927 MJ/ha, and 17.7t/ha of dry matter meant his silage was worth €3,708/ha (valued in comparison to brewer’s grains).
Last year’s entrants averaged ME yields of 138,520 MJ/ha, significantly beating the Ireland and UK average of 88,000 MJ/ha.
Also bidding to win the 2015 Yara Grass Prix are Elgan Evans, a dairy farmer from North Wales; Jan Coward, a beef farmer in Dorset, Joe Spicer, a dairy farmer in Dorset, Robert Tilly, a dairy farmer from Cornwall; James Coombes, the dairy farm manager at Duchy College, Cornwall; Drew Wilson, a beef farmer from Angus, Scotland; and Iain Green, a beef farmer from north east Scotland.
Yara’s sales team will help the entrants with free analysis of soil, slurry and tissues; advice on inputs, application rates and timings; and free analysis of samples for grass quality.
Final results should be available in August.
