Average grass growth for the year to date is back over 800kg DM/ha compared to the same period last year, according to PastureBase, Teagasc’s grass measuring database.

The figures are a matched sample of farms nationally, but growth rates in the south and east are worst affected by the poor growing conditions.

Compared to the five year average 2019 to 2023, growth rates so far in 2024 are back almost 1.2t DM/ha.

Across a typical 40ha farm, that’s equivalent to almost 48t DM less grass grown on farms in 2024 compared to the five year average.

Strong wind

Tipperary farmer Michael Ryan said he believes this year’s strong wind has also dried out grass.

“I’ve never seen a year like it when it comes to wind; basically, every time we got rain, the wind would blow it away. We’ve had so much wind, especially from the north and northeast.”

Ryan has also had to start feeding silage due to the poor growth.

“The problem is we’re feeding at the moment; we’re eating into our winter supply. We’ve silage in everyday as a buffer feed,” he said.

“You might say ‘what’s three bales of silage?’ but that 70 to 80 days is over 200 bales, they get through it very quickly.”

Dairy farmer from Kildare, Aaron Pearson said recently growth has given him hope for the winter.

“After the grass walk, I just did, we’re back on target. We’re confident but we’re lucky enough we’ve enough feed, there’s other parts of the country that are worse off than us.”

Teagasc’s latest fodder survey shows that 45% of all farmers in the south of Ireland are without sufficient winter feed and that, nationally, only 62% of farms have fully secured their winter feed.

The data was taken from around 650 farms across the country.