Weather issues continue to dominate the discussion among farmers.

While those in the north and northwest are bracing themselves for more rain, those in the south and east are looking for it.

It’s amazing to think that as we approach mid-September, many farms haven’t got enough rain yet and these are the same farms that, by and large, were drying out in June.

So, extra feed has been fed on these farms for more or less three months, putting pressure on cashflow, winter feed stocks and morale.

The longer it goes on, the greater the impact will be.

Normally, grass growth rates fall sharply after September is out.

This means that in order to make up some of the difference in lost grass growth and farm cover, October will have to be an exceptional month for grass.

Not guaranteed

That is not guaranteed, but some period of compensatory growth usually follows a dry period. That is something farmers observed in 2018 and 2022.

For those who have got enough rain and grass growth is normal, they should be completing a grass budget on Pasturebase and following this closely in order to reach their peak average farm cover in late September of 1,100kg to 1,200kg DM/ha.

For other farmers struggling with grass, trying to follow an autumn grass budget is futile, because the level of feed needed to build cover is just too high where growth rates are low.

Continue to measure grass weekly and respond to changes in growth quickly, because if rain does come, there will be an opportunity to reduce feeding rates.

This is the last week for spreading nitrogen, with the closed period starting on 15 September.