Drought fears as growth falters

THERE are growing concerns in western farming circles this week over early-summer, drought-like conditions that have greatly stunted growth.

With rainfall amounts continuing to be very small through the early days of June – following a very dry April and May period – many farmers are reporting close to zero re-growth where silage has been cut or pastures have been grazed down.

Abbeyknockmoy farmer and weather recorder, Brendan Geraghty, told the Farming Tribune that ‘a good day’s rain’ was now badly needed to kick-start regrowth in pastures across the region.

Through the entire month of May, he recorded just 1.24 inches of rainfall (31.5mms) – his total for April was 1.55 inches (40mms.) with the dry trend continuing through the first week of June.

“It is approaching a drought situation with many rivers just down to a trickle and the main problem seems to be with regrowth.

“Where pastures have been tightly grazed or where silage has been cut, there is very little by way of regrowth. Over the past week or so, you can see the colour change in the fields,” said Brendan Geraghty.

He also said that there were reliable reports from some of the more intensive farming sectors in the southern part of the country of this year’s silage having to be ‘opened up’ to meet the feed needs of their dairy herds.

Brendan Geraghty said that the cumulative total of rainfall so far in the first week in June had only amounted to a ‘few showers’ which had made absolutely no impression on soils that were by now ‘bone-dry’.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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