Taking Stock!

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Ian Browne (Stafford)

Following some reasonable rain at last, it seems very apt to consider the adage that we should be thinking at least six months ahead.  The rain in May in some areas was more than all of February, March and April’s total and the impact this has had on crops needs to be considered carefully.  Now is the time to start assessing feed stocks available for winter 2025-26.  We should at this stage be able to calculate what feed requirements are required to feed the planned livestock numbers.

For most people first cuts of silage are made and in store and hopefully the second cuts are growing on well now.  As a generalisation, the amount of silage made in first cut was down considerably on the normal amounts, but quality should be very good.  The second cut areas may or may not live up to expectations and are unlikely to make up completely for quantities not already made.  Dependent on silage stocks carried over, the available feed for winter may already be looking deficient.  How will this situation be addressed if it is relevant to you?

For many it may mean that some additional crops or feed may need to be purchased in.  It makes sense to understand where you are in terms of this and to commit to action early before panicking later in the year.  If whole crop needs to be bought in, start assessing this now.  Locally some arable farmers have already been asked about selling standing crops to dairy farmers and the issue of pricing has cropped up.  Many crops are already patchy, and drought stressed (short straw and less tillering has taken place).  Care must be taken to ensure that if buying a crop, it is a “complete” crop i.e., the crop is even, and the yields will be reasonable.  Pricing is set based on corn yield and the price of corn plus an allowance for “rent” and straw.  This will be very difficult to assess in many cases.  However, the arable farmer will be able to save some costs of harvesting and storage plus may get an early entry for a catch crop or use a break crop.  What is important to recognise from the livestock farmers’ perspective is that you get value for money.  To this end winter wheat and some winter barley crops would appear to offer the greatest potential whereas spring crops vary a lot in output!

The option for reseeds or drilling into existing swards and the use of short-term forage crops to extend the grazing or autumn season need to be considered also.  These can have the ability to shorten the winter considerably especially for dry stock.  What is certain is that the year is not “the same as usual”.  There is a need to react and monitor your situation carefully and to have plans for different scenarios that may occur.  Being prepared is the difference between being in control or crisis management.

It is also worth mentioning that due to the weather impacts on arable crops, the likelihood of there being a shortage of good straw is considerable.  Plants are very short strawed and many stalks are already very dry and unlikely to green up again.  Thus, much of the straw will be very brittle and losses from the combine may be significant.  To this end, if there is good straw available and you can store it well, maybe you should purchase stocks from last season now?

To help assess your position and take stock, contact Ian at ianbrowne@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office.

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