The paper code cannot be redeemed when browsing in private/incognito mode. Please go to a normal browser window and enter the code there
This content is copyright protected!
However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the headline, summary and link below:
Title: 'This is one of the worst years I've ever seen and I'm contracting 27 years'
Recent heavy rainfall has led to a delayed harvest and left some farmers with no other choice but to house their cattle, as Peter McCann and Alice O'Sullivan report.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to farmersjournal.ie on this browser until 9pm next Wednesday. Thank you for buying the paper and using the code.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact us.
For assistance, call 01 4199525
or email subs@farmersjournal.ie
If would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525
Reset password
Please enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password
If would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address.
Please click on the link in this email to reset
your password. If you can't find it in your inbox,
please check your spam folder. If you can't
find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
Email address not recognised
There is no subscription associated with this email
address. To read our subscriber-only content.
please subscribe or use the reader loyalty code.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
'This is one of the worst years I've ever seen and I'm contracting 27 years'
Recent heavy rainfall has led to a delayed harvest and left some farmers with no other choice but to house their cattle, as Peter McCann and Alice O'Sullivan report.
Harvesting this field of spring barley has been delayed by the wet weather in Co Waterford. Photo: Donal O’ Leary
Summer 2016 has seen a huge variation in weather around the country. Western and northern counties have had to deal with higher than average rainfall, while eastern and southern regions have escaped relatively unscathed by the weather woes.John Daly is a tillage and sheep farmer in Kilconnell, mid-Galway. He says ground has deteriorated in the last 10 days and he has been unable to cut anything since 20 September.
Summer 2016 has seen a huge variation in weather around the country. Western and northern counties have had to deal with higher than average rainfall, while eastern and southern regions have escaped relatively unscathed by the weather woes.
John Daly is a tillage and sheep farmer in Kilconnell, mid-Galway. He says ground has deteriorated in the last 10 days and he has been unable to cut anything since 20 September.
John, like many farmers, is calling for an extension of the 15 October deadline for spreading slurry: “I still have second cut to do and slurry is almost at a full stop, if we spread slurry the way it is at the moment, it will be in the river the following morning.”
Weather in Galway has been particularly bad, with IFA president Joe Healy calling for a plan to help tillage farmers in crisis in the west, which includes an aid package for tillage farmers who have suffered badly due to loss of crops.
John says his corn yields are on the ground and are an absolute disaster this year and he has yet to begin sowing. He predicts around 40% of animals will be housed in his local area by the end of this week and can’t remember the situation ever being as bad. “Everyone is in the same boat around here. This is one of the worst years I’ve ever seen and I’m contracting 27 years.”
Coastal fog causing problems
Similar conditions have been felt along the southern coast, with Clonakilty tillage farmer David O’Brien describing levels of rainfall along the south as “shocking”. He said around 40% of grain has yet to be harvested and fog has been causing huge problems for farmers anywhere up to 30 miles in from the coast. “Coastal fog is causing moist air and the crops are soaking up this moisture. Fellas are taking out crops at any moisture level, just to get them harvested.”
David believes moisture penalties will be serious for tillage farmers and lead to another income crisis. He says slurry is a distant thought, with straw still remaining on the ground and animals unable to graze, all delaying spreading for another while.
Northern Ireland
The continued wet weather is putting pressure on farmers in Northern Ireland, particularly with the closed period for spreading slurry looming at the middle of next month.
Dairy and tillage farmer Alistair Craig from Limavady, Co Derry, hopes the deadline is extended this year as he has nearly 100,000 gallons of slurry still to put out.
Although the northwest is a high-rainfall area, Alistair farms on dry land at the coast. “Our ground can usually carry quite well and we are under pressure at the minute so there will be a lot of other farmers in the same or worse positions,” he said.
He said he has a cut of silage ready to put in and, although all his cereals have been cut, there is still 50 acres of straw left to bale.
Alistair said that the high- and medium-yielding groups of cows are being housed at night and that lameness has been an issue with cows this year as roadways have been in poor condition with the high rainfall.
Even younger stock are damaging certain fields
In Omagh, Co Tyrone, dairy farmer Richard Marshall has housed all his cows day and night from last week and says that they most likely will not be out again. “Even younger stock are damaging certain fields and if conditions get much worse they will have to go in too,” he said.
Richard has most of the third-cut silage still to go in to the pit, with some baled last week for a start. There is slurry to go out as well with a contractor due to come at the end of the week to spread with the umbilical system around the farmyard. “We couldn’t spread with anything else – there is no way a tanker would carry on ground at the minute. Even when it isn’t raining, there is little drying from now on with the nights getting longer too,” he added.
The place looks alright when it stops raining. Drains nearing max capacity in low parts of the farm pic.twitter.com/p0H0a10Pga
The Michael Collins Clonakilty and District centenary commemorations are being held, August 14 to 22, around the West Cork area of his youth. Philip Joyce has all the details.
Gerald Bulter’s family had a strong tradition of being lightkeepers in lighthouses. In conversation with Anne O’Donoghue he discusses loving the isolation associated with this life.
Now entering their third season at pit silage and running two Fendt Tigo forage wagons, Gary Abbott spoke with Eamon and John Gaynor, to find out why they chose wagons and the Fendt brand.
In search of more weight and power, Tipperary contractor Pat O’Connor upgraded his New Holland W170D wheel loader in 2023 for the brands flagship 19t W190D model.
Save to a collection
Recent collections
This article has already been saved
This article has been saved
Create a collection
Subscriber only
This content is available to digital subscribers only. Sign in to your account or subscribe to get unlimited access.SIGN INSUBSCRIBE
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: