Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

straight

That was an interesting letter in the journal where they said they were part time beef farming with an off farm job and that on an hourly basis they were earning more than the majority of dairy farmers. I think I'd agree with it. The investment and workload in dairy is crazy.

And now the regs are only going in one direction. We've only ever been stocked at 2.5 here and now we've to pay the price for the guys overloading.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118019219#Comment_118019219

What's the interest rate on overdue trading accounts now? And can they still swipe your milk cheque

Gillespy

No point blaming other farmers, even with pristine water and so forth, this would still be the direction of travel now with vegans, animal rights and climate prats calling the shots.

straight

It was nice to hear Prince William calling out the space tourism. At long last someone said something about it. Bit hypocritical coming from him alright obviously.

GrasstoMilk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118018165#Comment_118018165

Don’t be so silly, somethings bitten your bun awful hard, I’m trying to make a living, be compliant while paying for every acre I farm, build facilities and put myself in a position that I can buy land in the future

I follow all the rules

How is a farm at 102% if it’s able to maintain its herd with no extra outside input over what majority of farms are?

we feed 1.2 meal per cow for 560 kgs ms (national av is 1t for 430 kg ms ) and I wouldn’t feed that only for the cows need it for what milk solids they produce

rest comes from what land we farm

unfortunately We’re not in a position of having a farm given to us or one that was set up by a couple of generations before us

compliance and good facilities cost a lot of money. I’m not prepared to work for as little as money as my parents did in the past

yes I can improve and do things differently, maybe next year I’ll send all my slurry to ye silage ground, I’ve only been spreading it at home to try build up its index’s

you’ve given me food for thought, thanks for that but there’s no need be little someone if you don’t agree with way they do things

50% of N +P problem is It being spread at wrong time of year, be that in winter of dry spells in summer, I do neither

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020512#Comment_118020512

What's the water quality reports like directly from your milking block like on the epa website the localised groundwater nitrate pip map gives a fair barometer if nitrogen leeching is a issue, looking at one big set-up locally farming beside a river, they are in serious trouble if the epa start to enforce locally going of it

GrasstoMilk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020614#Comment_118020614

Have never looked at it but will when I get near the laptop

the ASSAP have a catchment in the next parish over, Tillage is the issue there

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118019669#Comment_118019669

I worked on a mixed Dairy farm back in the 80s - the mainstream industry is a different beast now and its hard to see the attraction of killing yourself 24/7 milking ever more scuttery stressed cows, chasing shrinking margins and getting hit with ever higher input costs. The vast majority of young people 2day just won't go for that, especially when there are now so many other easier ways of making a living that guarantee paid holidays etc.. As I said before Big Dairy here is heading down the beaten path of pig/poultry units which should be setting off alot of alarm bells!!

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020614#Comment_118020614

Funny you should say that - the word from home is that the CC are now doing monthly inspection of all streams within 200m of slurry holding and milking parlours in the North Kildare area. If any problems are logged the EPA send out their "farm liaison" staff. Don't know if this is happening elsewhere but its probably only a matter of time.

Say my name

We ain't never going to achieve anything on nitrates.

This is a dairy thread and we know people have it in for dairy in this country. So dairy farmers have to be extra cautious.

I'm in a green water area. I've been inspected by the dept. I've a few little things to remedy. Move a water trough. Move two stakes.

Across from me is a tillage field sprayed off with glyphosate these past three weeks. Beside that is the council sewage pit with liquid flow into the stream. Both these are deemed acceptable by those that have the power. Further down the stream any more N addition from land to that already and it becomes yellow or orange. And it all is blamed on the land not the sewage water already at the start of the stream.

It'll never be sorted.

Apparently the 1990's were the height of nitrates in waterways.

Impose the rules of derogation on all farmers and it'll help someway. Councils naturally should practice what they ascribe to. Maybe we bring in a system of councils inspecting the farmers (which is there already) and farmers inspecting the councils.🤔

alps

https://www.ifa.ie/policy-areas/eu-water-quality-report-shows-signs-of-improvement-in-ireland/

Injuryprone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020512#Comment_118020512

Just pointing out the absurdity of your argument that it should be ok for you to overstock because you're growing 15t. Some might say you're only growing that because you're stocked well over 300 and spreading 250kg fertilizer on top (assuming you're not also spreading some of the outfarm fertilizer on the MP, which is quite common).

Equally as absurd is your argument that farmers that have large debts and drawings should be allowed to overstock because they need it more.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118022754#Comment_118022754

Regarding the excuse of debt, etc.

It's understandable but nobody gives a sh1t about your issues. I learnt the hard way. I got burned in the dot com crash where most of Ireland just started building and ignored that crash. Then I bought a house off plan that lost half of its value in the global financial crash. Nobody cared. When I started farming they couldn't give me the national reserve because I worked too hard in my previous job and was over the income limit. The harder you work in this country the harder you get kicked. It called a progressive taxation system. I keep debt as low as possible now because I'm sick of getting burned.

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118022754#Comment_118022754

The debt argument aside as I agree with straight nobody cares.

How are you reckoning he's over anything since he's farming within the regulations as they stand

green daries

I don't always agree with GTM but your making a lot of assumptions on something you think someone is doing

GrasstoMilk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118022754#Comment_118022754

wether you agree with it or not I’m following all the rules

the producer gets fucked over at any turn possible, myself is my number one priority

im getting c 200k more off same land area my father farmed 10 years ago and I’m following the rules

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118023104#Comment_118023104

Totally agree the argument put forward by injury prone is biased view that puts your business outside the regulations which you are following.

It's part of the same argument that environmentalists etc etc come up with they project their views of dairy onto everyone so we are on the back foot starting out

Injuryprone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118022895#Comment_118022895

He's talking about ignoring any future reduction in stocking rates due to these increase nitrate excretion bands. Selling his entitlements and going off grid.

Also in a discussion with another poster who was saying MP stocking limits should be brought in, he was maintaining that stocking the MP at 4.0 was no worse for the environment than someone with all their land at home stocking at 2.5

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118024142#Comment_118024142

Going by a lot of stuff here lately selling entitlements keeping your head down and farming to best of your and enviro standards is appealing ….Eamon Ryan the greens and govt don’t give 2 shites about what we’re already doing or the sustainability of our farms and incomes ….

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118024407#Comment_118024407

Reading the dan breenan letters to the editor in the journal this week and the vets opinion and his findings on the poisoning of the man's cattle from the factory dust been undeniable but still the epa never went after the factory in question why should any of us have to bend the knee to these public sector c**ts, if we aren't causing pollution, in cases where its proven they should go after lads but the hypocrisy of it all....

Id never thought I'd say these words but the likes of matt Carthy in government as minister for agriculture is looking alot more appealing then having pippa and her puppet at the minute, what's the end game of finna fail/geal rural tds in all of this do they want to lose their seats just to keep the party whip going along with all this environmental crap

Timmaay

Given the price of fertilizer, I'm gonna give mms and clover a decent shot next yr. Going to drop the SR (lucky enough to of got more ground, but offloading some animals), combined with that I've a huge winter surplus this year so won't be under as much pressure next may. Aim is to disc harrow in mss and clover directly over existing swards that have clover in already, then no bag nitrogen for rest the year. I'll do likes of 10ac at a time, every month or so, and see how it goes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118024407#Comment_118024407

Selling entitlements was mentioned in Maam Cross CAP meeting the last night, by a dairy man. But, I can tell you how the powers that be will react. They'll legislate, and instead of fining a farmer a % of their CAP payment they'll be brought before the courts. It's why I despise the Natura 2000 designations, CAP is voluntary, but when the law is against you fighting "the man" get's into serious territory awful fast. I know lads have said courts take time, use up manpower hours in departments, but don't doubt that they'll do it. The momentum isn't in our favour. And that's coming from another farmer in a different sector who's also planning a way out of CAP.

K.G.

You have to ask why selling your entitlements has provoked such a reaction

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118024651#Comment_118024651

I'm not political but I would judge sinn féin by what they do and not what they say. They voted for the climate action plan and they are in power a few miles up the road where I believe the proposed cuts are even more savage.

I see and hear John gibbons everywhere now. He must have some carbon footprint getting around to all these interviews. These guys spend there whole lives debating and talking sh1t and we don't seem to have anyone to counter them and their energy. Michael Healy Rae gave him a fair roasting on TV last night alright which was nice to see. Maybe independent rural TDs are the way to go. There was some other bull shitter on as well. Michael threw a load of stuff at her and she goes, OK, there's alot to unpack in that. Them people can waffle all day and all night.

GrasstoMilk

What programme was that on?

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118025707#Comment_118025707

Imo. It's partly because a lot of people want a crack down on dairy farmers they want to see them taken down a peg or two "we are too big for our boots " in some people's eye's every second prick I'm talking to these day's can tell me the dairy is making a fortune 🙄🙄I just tell most of them I'll rent mine as a going concern . Even do two milking a week for them. They change the subject fairly fast then

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118025776#Comment_118025776

Tonight show on TV3 or whatever it's called

kevthegaff

Look some of the changes which are tedious, I can see will help as less silt and s%%t in the rivers(sloping of roadways). Water troughs away from streams and fenced rivers also will help I'd imagine. But tt

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118024142#Comment_118024142

Maybe but you implied he is not meeting the current regulations

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118025222#Comment_118025222

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20240921.html

So in the eyes of the Irish justice system, lads overstocked by 40-50kgs of n ha, but causing no environmental damage that can be proven in a court of law are going to get dragged over the coals at the behest of the department of agriculture and epa while the standard treatment for anyone that’s not in agriculture is the above, as for legislation, under Eu law the discharge of raw sewage into watercourses by local authorities isn’t lawful but sure that’s okay to the money isn’t available to upgrade these plants so noting to see here