£5,000 worth of prizes offered for country’s best silage

Hugh McClymont and Jimmy Warnock link up again in main ring

Prizes worth £5,000 are up for grabs for the best silage produced in Scotland.

After a bumper year of grass growth, the organisers of AgriScot’s annual silage competition have called on dairy, beef and sheep farmers to get samples from their bales and pits analysed to be in with a chance of a reward.

Competition organiser Andrew Best pointed out many farm pits and bale stacks are full to overflowing this autumn, but he added it was important for producers to have their 2019 crop analysed.

“It is an unfortunate fact that quantity can sometimes dilute quality, especially when we have had such rapid growth rates and heavy wet crops to contend with,” he said.

“In such circumstances, it is important to know exactly what livestock nutrition can be provided from silage stocks. Armed with a chemical analysis, it is then easy to enter our silage competition – by simply emailing me the report.”

Fresh samples from the top farms will be analysed at AgriScot in November

AgriScot chairman Robert Neill said the competition was a good fit with the annual event which aims to showcase best practice.

“The commentary around the live analysis, in our main ring with judge Hugh McClymont, has proven to be a great attraction at the past couple of AgriScots.

“Even more so last year when Hugh was joined by guest judge Jimmy Warnock with his request for ketchup to help with his silage tasting,” he said.

“I am delighted that Jimmy Warnock will once again act as guest judge for the competition.”

The AgriScot silage competition has classes for dairy and beef/sheep clamp silages and also big bale silage. Entries can be from any cut of silage.

There is also a special young farmers class for producers under 26 years of age to enter any pit silage.

The winner of the 2018 beef and sheep category of clamp silage was Jamie McIntyre, Milton of Cullerlie, Aberdeenshire, with a sample analysing at 30.5DM and 11.6ME and a crude protein of 13%.

First place in the dairy section was awarded to J Kerr & Sons of Kirkland’s farm, Carnwath, which analysed at 37.5 dry matter, 12.9 metabolizable energy and 14.9 crude protein.

Graeme Mather, of Shandford, Brechin, come out on top in the big bale section with an analysis of 64.8DM, 12.1ME and 14.7CP.

Getting to grips with the silage process.