Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117978172#Comment_117978172

Yep buffering last 3 weeks ,have lots grass but cows went fairly loose and grass 11/13% dm .steadied the ship since ,not affecting clean outs 1.89 kgms yesterday

Mooooo

Not yet, twud do em no harm at all. Gonna offload majority of empties at wkend I'd say. Will graze a paddock or two of high covers in heifer ground with cows as well

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117978172#Comment_117978172

In at night her, on a maize/silage tmr, using incalf heifers to graze of heavy covers on milking block

whelan2

What are culls making?

Mooooo

Not quiet sure, couple marts down here have sales of out of parlour cows, young cows 1,2,3 lactation seem to be doing ok of correct in quarters etc, older than that seems to be close to cull value so depends on the cow then.

straight

Looks like the IFA have waken up at last.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117978300#Comment_117978300

Sold 2 fresians last week 580kgs for 760 and 800. This week got only 550 average for smaller cows with a bit of flesh on em. Moving on empties atm.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117978817#Comment_117978817

Well?

straight

Save Irish Farming

October 2021

 

Dear Member,

 

In the weeks and months ahead, Irish farming faces one of its biggest challenges. The recently-passed Climate Action Bill means Ireland has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51%. This leaves the Government with one of the biggest policy challenges in the history of the State.

 

They selected this target without any consideration of the consequences for the economy, or for Irish farming.

 

Shortly, the Government will publish carbon budgets and Sectoral Emissions Ceilings. This will include a legally-binding emissions ceiling for Irish agriculture. 

 

Because of this, every policy pursued by the Government is now designed to reduce output and hit our most productive farmers. This will have huge consequences for Irish farming. Already, the Government is talking about having a ‘stable national herd’. 

 

There is no such thing as a ‘national herd’. We have over 100,000 cattle herds in this country, with an average of fewer than 70 animals. These cattle are owned by farmers, not the State. The livelihoods of thousands of farmers and their families depend on these herds. We cannot place a new quota on these farmers.

 

In the coming weeks, our Minister will also finalise his plan for Ireland’s next CAP programme for 2023-27. Based on the current proposals, 25% will be sliced off every farmer’s Basic Payment to fund Eco Schemes.

 

Many farmers will not be able to qualify. Those who do will suffer significant compliance costs. As a result, some of our most productive farmers will see their incomes devastated. These Eco Schemes are cuts, not ‘rewards for environmental actions’ as some in Government are describing them.

 

The EU rules allow our own Government to reduce the percentage cut for Eco Schemes below 25%. The Minister must pursue this and the schemes must be designed in a way that allows our most productive farmers to get a larger Eco Scheme payment.

 

The Government is also using the terms and conditions of the proposed schemes under Pillar II of the CAP to restrict production, including an attempted cap on suckler cow numbers. This is unacceptable.

 

Instead, we need proper support for our most vulnerable livestock, sheep and tillage sectors. Farmers need targeted payments of €300 per suckler cow and €30 per ewe and a new tillage scheme without restrictive conditions.

 

We need a proper new environment scheme and we are also proposing a new ‘cattle rearing and finisher’ payment. In next week’s Budget, we need to see the current schemes rolled over for 2022.

 

It is not just in CAP we are facing cuts to incomes. As it stands, the proposed Nitrates Action Plan will cost farmers millions in compliance costs.

 

One area in which we had success was forcing the Government to amend the Climate Bill in the Seanad to take account of the carbon farms remove from the environment.

 

However, Minister Ryan now wants to move the goalposts on how removals will be counted by using a ‘gross-net’ measure rather than ‘net-net’. This is sleight-of-hand and bad faith by Minister Ryan. Minister McConalogue needs to call him out on this.

 

And last week we heard the Minister for Agriculture claim that the State owns carbon credits generated by forestry. Carbon credits are owned by farmers. The State will not steal our carbon credits.

 

The forestry licensing system is a complete mess. We have to apply for licences for planting, forest roads, thinning and harvesting. Planting and harvesting have ground to a halt and we are now importing timber and missing all our forestry targets.

 

The carbon tax on diesel is due to be increased again in next week’s Budget, but farmers have no alternative to diesel. The Government has done nothing to support farm-scale renewables, despite promises to do so. As a result, our uptake of farm renewables is one of the lowest in the EU.

 

They banned peat harvesting without considering the consequences for horticulture. We are now importing peat which is counter-productive from a climate perspective.

 

Horticulture, along with our pig and dairy sectors, are also suffering serious labour shortages, but it’s taking forever to get work permits. Meanwhile the retail sector is putting horticulture producers out of business. Where is the promised Food Ombudsman? 

 

Huge Government decisions are also due on the allocation of carbon tax revenue and the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.

The whole Government approach is to preach at farmers. The Government needs to sit around the table with farmers and agree a plan at farm level for the next five to 10 years. 

 

If they continue on their current trajectory, they will decimate Irish farming and rural Ireland. This will deliver no benefit to the environment as food production will simply move to other countries that have a larger climate footprint than Ireland.

 

We have tried to work with the Government on these issues, but all we get is ‘stakeholder consultation’. We need more than that. Our livelihoods are on the line. 

 

Next Friday (8th October), I am asking every farmer to attend our rallies in Cavan (7.30am), Roscommon (12.30pm), Portlaoise (5.30pm) and Cork City (8.30pm).

 

See www.IFA.ie for full details.

 

Come on your tractor or on foot. We need to send a message that Irish farmers will not be sacrificed to facilitate data centres and Brazilian beef expansion.

 

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117978916#Comment_117978916

Were they dry or from the parlour kev?

Timmaay

Plenty of grass grown here in September, however back end demand always higher here with 2 sets of larger hungry heifers, grassland SR sitting around 3 at the sec, so I'm buffering the milkers with 2 or 3kgdm/cow a day of silage the min, and if heavy rain comes I'll bump that up to likes of 6 or 7kg. Main aim is to stretch out the milkers rotation until nov 15th, and hope weather allows grazing until then.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117979025#Comment_117979025

Straight from parlour, the 2 good ones were dried off

Gawddawggonnit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117979014#Comment_117979014

Lol. Nothing in there about being included as frontline workers!!

Imho, now is not the time to block the streets with tractors and the begging bowl in hand.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117980543#Comment_117980543

I'd say it's about 2 years too late. Public sentiment is now against the big rich polluting farmers. Wouldn't make a difference anyway. We've seen farmers protesting all over the world and it didn't get them anywhere.

Looks like they are breaking the energy and food systems worldwide to "build back better".

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117980543#Comment_117980543

Indeed - plus the IFA have p*ssed off alot of smaller farmers in the West etc. with their banter about "productive farmers" and maintaining the biggest SFPs for the "fat cats" at the expense of everyone else

Gawddawggonnit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117981184#Comment_117981184

Agriculture is bearing the majority of the blame for the climate change mess. It’s easy to encounter a farm/farmer, just drive out the country, whereas the likes of oil refineries are much less accessible. We’re getting some serious hassle about water..irrigation lake lining getting slashed, pipes cut etc. This is in retaliation against aquifer depletion, even though most of the water in France is harvested from winter excess. When changing the irrigation reels we’ve to be extra vigilant for sabotage even to the point where they take a dump on the reel or where you’d be walking. Sprayer operatives run the risk of physical attacks etc etc.

Farmers were once held in high esteem but that’s gone now. Well gone.

It’s even worse for ye because of water pollution issues on top of climate change.

Solutions seem distant…but marching with the begging bowl out doesn’t seem to be a good bet to me. Do the IFA need to read the room? I dunno.

kevthegaff

I see it with friends that have moved to or work in the city, overnight their views/agendas change. They really start to dislike farmers

kevthegaff

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/peak-milk-we-are-just-looking-for-10-15-extra-cows-and-are-being-told-no/

That a bit lousy, lot of unhappy glanbia suppliers

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982271#Comment_117982271

Chinese whispers thats a new entrant down in kilkenny that they had signed up but had never supplied them yet with a drop of milk who had plans to milk 500 odd cows was given enough litres to go to 350, its really disgusting that farms who where hit with Tb and genuine hardship cases where cast aside to keep the likes of the above viable, the milk allocated to that place could of went towards keeping 10 plus farms like the above viable

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982358#Comment_117982358

Stinks of wink wink nudge nudge and people with influence using it to there advantage …..good auld Ireland

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982015#Comment_117982015

And the same "environmentalists" have no problem with fast fashion, tourism, fast food, takeaway coffee, mining for batteries for their electric cars, overuse of heating, air con, lighting, eejits heading off to space, etc, etc. Apparently everybody has climate guilt now. Maybe they think the farmer can fix everything.

We're heading towards a 4 day week here in this country and getting an extra bank holiday. It's looking more and more tempting every day.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982271#Comment_117982271

“We have been Glanbia suppliers for 60 years and waited until we had the infrastructure in place before increasing cow numbers."

That's what you get for doing the right thing. SH1T is your thanks.

Pinsnbushings

I hope that story is not true about the 350 in kilkenny..I'm in a very similar situation as the farmer in the article. Went into partnership with the father in 18 aswell. Milking 40 odd cows. Building a shed currently, got enough litres to allow for our 40 cows mature supply that's about all.

If I had been a new entrant I could supply 550,000 litres in a spring calving system.

If an opportunity arrives with land and I wanted to expand to say 80-100 cows I'm at a serious disadvantage now.

A 400 cow farmer not too far away setting up a second 150 cow unit not a million miles from me..I was wondering where they were going to get the litres, but it appears that might not be a problem for some.

Timmaay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982443#Comment_117982443

Livestock emissions are only 5% of the worlds emissions in total, we all go fully vegan and shut that all down overnight, we still got the other 95% to deal with. Complete smokescreen.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982540#Comment_117982540

And that kind of common sense is what I want to see highlighted with this IFA rally. Too much anti farming propoganda about.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982358#Comment_117982358

It has always been the way one set of rules for some, while others plough on regardless

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117982443#Comment_117982443

A neighbour in the Public sector told me during the week that if a young fellow got his job he'd be destroyed for life.

Civil servats in government drive all these reduced hours in the public sector and private secrtor employers have to compete

straight

Are we all going protesting tomorrow. I'd hardly be able to get finished early enough in the evening to make it here. I think the damage is done at this stage anyway. The horse has bolted.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990436#Comment_117990436

Aiming to go to cork …we can’t just roll over and accept this …agree timing of these events could be better but too much at play here to just do nothing …regardless of what people think of the ifa there trying here and as farmers with our future in jeopardy we need to come out and make sure our voice is Heard loud snd clear

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990576#Comment_117990576

Cork will be empty at 8 o clock tomorrow night. Balls of a time.