New fodder crisis looms as it’s too dry for grass to grow

FARMERS are facing the prospect of a new fodder crisis this summer because conditions are too dry.

Farms are dealing with drought conditions from Dublin and Meath, as well as down the eastern seaboard, with the second-cut silage at risk due to a lack of growth.

With very little rain over the last six weeks, growth rates have slowed down significantly – halving over the past week.

It comes mere weeks after the Government moved to import thousands of tonnes of fodder into the country following the cold, wet winter and spring.

As freezing conditions persisted into April, farmers warned that grass growth would be delayed by weeks.

Now farmers in Leinster are dealing with the worst of the drought conditions, and many are facing a new set of fodder problems.

Farmers are being forced to feed grass that was earmarked for second-cut silage and concentrates to cattle.

Met Éireann says soil moisture deficits currently range from around 20mm to 40mm in the north-west of the country, which had some rain last week, but there are drought or near-drought conditions over Leinster.

Teagasc head of livestock systems Padraig French said that soil moisture is predicted to go below 80ml this week, which will see grass stop growing completely.

Grass growth has been seriously curtailed in recent weeks as the lack of rain sees farmers along the eastern seaboard now face soil moisture deficit levels of 70ml.

The challenge now for farmers, he said, is what to feed cattle – whether to graze second-cut silage ground or buy in extra supplements.

“It does not make economic sense to close ground for silage and feed out silage to cattle. It makes sense to graze that second-cut silage ground,” said Mr French.

But he warned due to the dry conditions in recent weeks, that grass is quite low yielding.

“If we get rain in the weeks ahead, there will be an immediate response with the amount of nitrogen out there,” he added.

“50ml of soil deficit levels really affects growth rate and growth rates have halved over the past week and it’s now way below demand.

“We will end up grazing the second-cut ground and eating silage.”

The recent good weather, which Mr French described as “extraordinary”, has helped make up for lost time in March and April.

But he warned that if it continues some farmers could face going into the winter months with reduced levels of fodder.