Farmers urged to undertake fodder survey ahead of winter feed

As Ireland continues to experience almost unprecedented drought conditions, farmers in Westmeath are being urged to undertake a fodder survey to ensure they have sufficient feed for their stock this coming winter.

Reflecting on the impact for farmers locally, Kenneth Bray, Chairman of Westmeath IFA said some farmers are reducing their stock levels in order to cut back on feed.

Speaking to the ‘Westmeath Examiner’, Kenneth, who operates a dairy herd at the family farm in Ballyhealy, Delvin, said one of the greatest difficulties facing farmers is the uncertainty attaching to the current weather pattern.

“The rain that fell the previous week-end was very welcome but we need a lot more to bring on grass and crops and the problem is we just don't know when any substantial rainfall is coming. Grass growth has slowed dramatically and where grass has browned it is going to require a lot of rainfall,” he said.

Mr Bray felt that Westmeath farmers had not been as badly hit as those in other counties, with problems only manifesting themselves in the Lake County within the past week.

“A number of farmers are already feeding meal to their stock, others are feeding silage and hay and this is adding cost to the system. Many would have been taking a second cut at this time of year but it is just not there. If we knew when we are going to get significant rain, we could plan ahead”, he continued.

Reducing numbers

“Some farmers are reducing their stock numbers to conserve feed while others are fattening up stock in order to offload them earlier. Factory prices are down at the momentum but this is a seasonal issue that is not just due to the weather”, he said.

Kenneth encouraged farmers to undertake a fodder survey to evaluate their requirements for the winter, so that an action plan can be drawn up for the months ahead. "They should take stock of what feed they have in hand and calculate what they will require to feed their animals over the coming months.”

He said that for the moment, farmers in Westmeath appear to have sufficient stock but some may be looking to buy wheat from neighbours to tide them over.

Mr Bray also expressed the hope that all farmers would do the right thing when it comes to pricing and not exploit the difficulties faced by others in the sector.