Farm View: New round of Fodder Scheme should support good silage-making

We often think of precision in silage-making as a dairyman's game, but research north of the border has shown big benefits in beef cattle, writes Farming Editor Rachel Martin

Better silage quality drives better dry matter intake in stock, which in turn drives better performance in both beef and dairy systems. Picture: Andy Gibson.

A few years ago, I read with shock an Irish study which found 93% of bales sampled - 331 of 360 bales across 180 farms - contained visible mould. And when it comes to mouldy silage, what's visible is usually only the tip of the iceberg.

That study might now be a good few years old, but the point remains that with such a long way to go to improve our silage quality in Ireland, I’d hope that the newly announced next round of the Fodder Support Scheme will not turn out to be another missed opportunity to reward positive and productive farming practices.