Most farms have strong feed surpluses but 8% have significant deficits

Previous experience of fodder shortages showed that farms with deficits of greater than 20% at the onset of winter faced significant practical and financial difficulties feeding their stock

Dairy farms in the Midland North-East region have the smallest surplus, equivalent to 5-7 days feeding in winter, but an improvement from 2020.

Planning and budgeting for both the quantity and quality of winter fodder available on farms is becoming an increasingly important activity.

It has now become part of managing the impact of changing weather patterns and mitigating the impacts of climate change on farms.