Feed sales are soaring around the country as delayed turnout and silage shortages leave farmers with no other option but to feed more meal.

Farm commercial specialist with Aurivo, Emer Reilly, said that in the year to date, her feed tonnage is up 12%.

Covering a portfolio of mostly beef farmers in Sligo and Donegal, Reilly said that although farmers in this area always budget for a long winter anyway, there are a lot of farmers now finding themselves short of silage.

“If you’re buying silage you’re buying a pig in a bag, you’re buying the worst of someone else’s silage.

“It’s like counselling on the phone at the minute, farmers are trying to get stock out, they don’t have any slurry out – it’s been a tough spring,” she said.

Séamus O’Mahony, head of commercial with Dairygold, said that while feed sales are up, particularly over the last number of weeks, he believes dairy farmers aren’t feeding enough.

“Milk is down 9% [in volume] in our geography anyway and protein is back too.

“When proteins are low this time of year it’s hard to get them back up later on. Farmers should be feeding to get to peak.

Pat Ryan, managing director of Liffey Mills said that there is a huge level of feed orders in ahead of the Easter weekend.

“Silage is short, it’s not a crisis yet but there is plenty of it on the move. Silage that is of dubious quality, you’d be better off substituting with meal, that has always been the case. “The trouble is that farmers need straw, they need forage – it’s just not there. Straw per tonne is making more than grain which is crazy,” he said.