Beef Newsletter - May 2022

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In this month's edition:

• Growing more with less
  With the huge rise in fertiliser prices this spring it is no wonder a lot of drystock farmers are planning on spreading less per hectare on their grazing ground in 2022. Less fertiliser will however mean less grass being grown unless something else changes on the farm.
• Lime – a good investment
  Research shows that liming acidic soils increases grass production by 1.0 tonne of dry matter (DM) per hectare. On a drystock farm, this extra tonne of grass DM is valued at over €100. An application of five tonnes per ha of ground limestone to correct soil pH represents a cost of €25/ha/year over five years.#
• Changing from CAN to protected urea
  In a recent Teagasc online survey of almost 1,000 drystock farmers, one of the questions that was asked was the type of fertiliser that was being purchased this year. A relatively small proportion of farmers said they were buying protected urea.
• Making quality silage
  It is difficult to predict next winter’s concentrate prices but all the signs at this stage are pointing to a rise across the board. Beef farmers who have growing or finishing cattle will need to offset the rising meal price per tonne by improving the quality of silage they make this year, allowing them to feed less meal per head while still achieving target growth rates.
• Date for the diary
  On Tuesday July 5, Teagasc will host BEEF2022 in the national beef research centre in Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath. It is four years since this major open day was last held and the theme for this year’s event is ‘Supporting Sustainable Beef Farming’. Find out more here
• Health & Safety - May is a high-risk month
  May is the month when silage making commences. It is a high-risk month when safety planning is needed. There is a lot of machinery movement, both in the farmyards and on public roads, so knock-down, roll-over and crushing accidents are possible.