Farmers have been urged to make plenty of high quality silage over the coming weeks. According to Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association president, Pat McCormack, this comes in the case of producers who plan on carrying high stock levels next winter. McCormack says “good stocks of high quality silage are the most effective buffer against high meal costs.”
The ICMSA president confirmed that many livestock farmers had already made the decision to reduce their fertiliser purchases at the present time, in an attempt to reduce costs. However, he states that “many dairy farmers will want to sell cull cows and young stock at the back end.” McCormack adds that if silage is not in the country to feed them, it would lead to a distorted market for the animals at that time.
Meanwhile banks have voiced their opinions regarding the perceived lack of fertiliser being purchased across the country at the present time. Ulster Bank’s chief agricultural manager in Northern Ireland, Cormac McKervey, has expressed concern to the effect that farmers are not buying enough fertiliser. McKervey highlighted that failure to grow enough grass now, could leave farmers short of silage next winter.
“Given the strict limitations on commercial credit right now, I thought that we would have had greater numbers of farmers contacting the bank, seeking finance to secure their 2022 fertiliser supplies”, he claims.