Farmers' concerns mount over slurry storage as wet weather continues
With the consistent bad weather, farmers are beginning to worry about their slurry storage capacities.
A survey has reported that farmers’ concerns surrounding slurry tanks are increasing due to the prolonged wet weather.
A new survey conducted by the Farm Relief Services Co-Operative (FRS Co-Op) found that the heavy rain experienced on farms right across the country over the last few weeks has added considerable stress to Irish farmers this spring.
The 2026 Calving Insights Survey canvases the views of FRS Co-Op farm service managers and team leads to gain insights into the spring calving season. The survey reveals there is growing concern on farms nationwide over the heavy rainfall in recent weeks and its knock-on impact for the rest of the spring.
The survey reports that farmers across the country are grappling with rapidly rising slurry tanks with little opportunity to spread on fields.
At the same time, operators have noted that most farmers are unable to get calved cows out on grass with fields in many areas heavily waterlogged or flooded, which is adding cost at a time when milk prices remain under pressure.
National Training Coordinator at FRS Farm Services, Helena Silke, said: “Calving is a tiring and difficult period of the year for Irish farmers. From surveying our network… It’s clear that these challenges have been compounded by the wet weather we have experienced over the last few weeks.
"Although farmers are resilient and have mostly remained on schedule in terms of calving, issues around slurry storage and cattle feed could continue to be a problem."Â
Aside from the difficult weather conditions, the latest Calving Insights survey by FRS Co-Op has found that on average, 23% of cows are now calved on farms in Ireland as of January 31.
Just over two-thirds (67%) of farms have reportedly started calving by the end of January.Â
The majority of farmers (55%) reported starting calving at a similar time to last year. Contrastingly, 27% of farms began calving earlier this year, according to the FRS Co-Op farm service managers, while 18% of farms are reportedly behind compared to last year.
Despite the weather, service managers are not reporting any major animal health issues arising on farms so far in 2026. Just over a quarter (27%) of operators noted typical animal health issues on farms, including minor bouts of pneumonia and scour.
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