Lakeland Dairies is encouraging all of its farmers to check their fodder requirements for the winter after deficits were recorded of between 10% to 50% in parts of west Cavan, Leitrim, north Monaghan, Fermanagh and west Tyrone. Alan Hurst, technical manager with Lakeland Agri, said: “Cows are now housed on the majority of farms. The extended period of poor weather in recent months has restricted farmers in silage making to the extent that we have identified possible forage deficits on some dairy farms across a number of counties.”