Feed mills report a significant bounce in ration sales this month on the back of buoyant beef prices, strong milk prices and stalled grass growth. One midlands feed supplier said March had been very busy, with sales of beef and dairy ration up at least 10%.
Feed mills report a significant bounce in ration sales this month on the back of buoyant beef prices, strong milk prices and stalled grass growth.
One midlands feed supplier said March had been very busy, with sales of beef and dairy ration up at least 10%.
Another feed supplier in the northern half of the country said sales were tracking 10-13% ahead of 2024 levels for January, February and the start of March.
Slump
While beef prices heading towards €8/kg have driven on sales of beef ration, a slump in grass growth is given as the primary reason for the lift in demand for dairy feed.
PastureBase Ireland data shows that average grass growth is currently at 15kg/ha/day, with average farm covers at 715kg/ha, Teagasc’s Joseph Dunphy pointed out.
Grass growth on paddocks grazed during the first rotation has been particularly slow, with covers averaging around 500kg/ha, Dunphy said.
The Teagasc specialist maintained that the start of the second grazing rotation will have to be delayed for a week or 10 days at a minimum until around 10 or 12 April to give grass covers time to build.
Dunphy advised farmers to buffer feed with silage and additional ration in the parlour while grass covers are building.
“Feeding silage and meal is preferable now in terms of milk yield and protein percentage, rather than feeding average quality silage closer to the peak in April,” he maintained.
“Farmers should also get their fertiliser up to date, and have 60 units per acre of fertiliser and slurry spread by 1 April,” he added.
The reduced grass covers this spring have been attributed to later grazing than usual in the back-end of last year, and significant grass losses during the heavy snows and hard frosts of January.
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