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Daily costs are mounting as every farm sector battles the heatwave, with persistent drought conditions forecast well into next week.
The average 100-cow dairy herd is spending an additional €300/day on silage and meal, while the average suckler farmer is facing extra costs of €100/day, according to Irish Farmers Journal livestock specialists.
Grass growth has slumped to 35kg DM/ha – less than half the average rate for the same period last year. As farmers struggle to rebuild fodder stocks, some have been forced to start feeding first-cut silage this week.
Additional feeding, combined with the hangover of winter bills, has some farmers coming under financial pressure.
There are fears that beef and lamb processors will take advantage of the situation as rising production costs force farmers to offload stock, with particular concern that the store lamb trade could be hit.
Access to water is becoming an issue, with reports of wells drying up on some farms, and farmers taking water from lakes to irrigate crops and grass.
Teagasc is running nationwide events on how farmers can deal with drought, but Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has stated his Department will not intervene at this time.
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