nfu drought summit

[Tarw Coch]

I quite agree - I think there is a significant danger of a really serious fodder shortage come late winter. Everyone is assuming that because there's been a bit a rain recently that everything is going back to 'normal' and whats been lost in production and early consumption will somehow be made good from here on. Well what if it isn't? What if the rest of summer and into the autumn is still drier that normal? That there won't be much second/third cut to be made, and what grass there is will soon be grazed by livestock anyway? What if we have a early start to winter with cold snaps in early Nov?

The Irish are doing exactly the right thing, acting now, not waiting until there's livestock with no food or bedding, while Defra and NFU announce grand plans to allow more irrigation. I mean for goodness sake, this a grassland crisis more than anything, what % of grassland is irrigated anyway????

Lack of water for irrigation is a serious matter for those who use/need it and lack of water will no doubt affect their crops/profits.
Lack of feed for livestock will have the same effect but unlike crops there is the animal welfare element to consider so I would say it’s a more serious issue yet the government don’t seem to have considered it.

 

[4course]

Despite what Gove said , the big potato grower locally has been made to stop irrigating. They are now seriously worried about harvesting in dry conditions, as it bruises the potatoes, which then won't store.
So what has the summit achieved?

f all but talk , the real problem is yet to come, food inflation ,big time.

 

[glasshouse]

Famine

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Is there going to be a enough of bale wrap in stock to cope with all the grass in a Months time
Its like the Amazon here now .is it the same evrywhere

 

[Derrick Hughes]

@Guy Smith some may think this a joke but there is now going to be a late flush of grass are our arable friends I'm sure will be looking to bale some late forage that will need wrapping .Is there enough wrap in the country to cope .Something the NFU can perhaps look into

 

[DRC]

Is there going to be a shortage of bale wrap to cope with all the grass in a Months time
Its like the Amazon here now .is it the same evrywhere

No it’s not the same everywhere. We’ve had bits of rain but we won’t have grass coming out of our ears.
As for bale wrap, I’m sure there was plenty saved from , A ,everyone making hay not haylage and B, feck all second cut since.
You were joking about the NFU getting involved in bale wrap weren’t you ?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No it’s not the same everywhere. We’ve had bits of rain but we won’t have grass coming out of our ears.
As for bale wrap, I’m sure there was plenty saved from , A ,everyone making hay not haylage and B, feck all second cut since.
You were joking about the NFU getting involved in bale wrap weren’t you ?

Can't see anyone making hay now and a lot of these farmers intend making silage into November if they get the chance. Grass is racing away here now

 

[DRC]

Can't see anyone making hay now and a lot of these farmers intend making silage into November if they get the chance. Grass is racing away here now

I didn’t mean hay now, I meant they’d made hay earlier , rather than haylage , so not using the wrap . My contractor says he’s used half the wrap he usually does and hasn’t done any second cuts, obviously .

 

[nails]

My local Hay and Straw Merchant Said the Straw bubble had burst. Is that right?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I didn’t mean hay now, I meant they’d made hay earlier , rather than haylage , so not using the wrap . My contractor says he’s used half the wrap he usually does and hasn’t done any second cuts, obviously .

Yes agree with you there.
But everyone is going to have a go at wrapping silage if the grass comes back like it is here

 

[Sid]

Well brexit may stop all this fodder leaving the UK next year.....perhaps that's why the Europeans are stocking up?

 

[Henarar]

Well brexit may stop all this fodder leaving the UK next year.....perhaps that's why the Europeans are sticking up?

didn't know they played skittles

 

[nivilla1982]

Irish Farmers Journal talks about straw having close to a 3% tariff in the event of UK leaving the EU under WTO terms

 

[Sonoftheheir]

What’s the latest?

Has anything been put into place at all?

 

[Sonoftheheir]

f all but talk , the real problem is yet to come, food inflation ,big time.

Yep, food is forecast to cost the consumer a whopping £1.75 per week more!

UK shop prices 'rise for the first time in five years' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45335950