Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

When the industry is being paid off milk solids you would wonder why they are are trying to base it off litres? Significant jump once you go above 6500l so lads will target fat+protein instead of chasing litres above 6500 litres. Problem is this will be only a short term gain as the reference rate for nitrates will be increases then as their is more output per cow. You cant win...

The whole thing is very demoralizing. This spring we were locked up waiting for the lab results of a factory cow and the for the first time in my life not immediately restocking and going again was an appealing option if the worst was to happen and we lost everything.

The kicker is even if lads invest in been compliant for the new rules come 2025 another pile of sh&*&e will be brought in that will in all probability mean another wedge of investment is needed, the tipping point has been reached on alot of farms re investing in more infrastructure especially given the current price of building on farm

The Irish goverment is hellbent on destroying any primary economic activity in this country , they have torpedoed peat/forestry/horticulture and dairying is next, when you see dairying in the states where the new boom is ad plants with 10% of the national herd now operating with one, while its green washing it at least allows on paper anyway a serious decrease in ammonia emissions etc, in Ireland anyone that attempts to build one will be shot down at the planning stage and if they get planning youll probably be waiting a few years to get paid a feed in tariff to the national gird by the time the legistation gets passed and esb get you hooked up.....

What payment, and how much are they, or did they get paid? First turbines were getting 3.6pence...

Jack Kennedy had his crystal ball out last week and I thought it was a very bland outlook he had. Here's my view of the future.

I see the kiwis are under pressure with water quality issues, we've our own issues in Europe, the western states of America are running out of water for irrigation. It's crazy what almarai are at in Saudi. They're growing alfalfa in USA and shipping to the middle East. Unless China is going to fill the gap with their 100,000 cow farms supply is going to drop for sure. All this irrigation can't continue. Cities in western USA reduced water usage by 30% and irrigation keeps increasing therefore undoing all the good work. I see Irish farmers milking lower numbers going forward and getting better paid. You can already see it in the beef markets and long may it continue. With all the energy and sequestration demands, etc. on land now food will surely get scarce. See AXA planting load of trees now to offset their carbon footprint.

I hope ye are correct lads. Be great to actually feel good about it all going forward.

I was just looking at the proposed nitrate bands there and I was calculating that (with derogation) I can milk 125 fat Angus or hereford milking 4500 litres or 94 Holsteins milking over 6500 litres. It doesn't make sense when they are culling the suckler herd at the same time. Sure what would you expect.

They closed power stations and are now short of power, they want every house built to the rolls Royce standard and they ran out of houses. They'll try their best to destroy agriculture too.

I just see my milk recording report there says that I supply about 6900 litres and about 540 kg solids. A handful of cows come in under 6500 and more supply up around 9000 litres. How are they going to work out the band's. Will we be back to drying off early again or what. I've to pare my replacements back under 15% for a start.

Why do you need to be around for grass? Just set a couple of breaks?

.94 cows/acre. I'll have to drop 12 cows and cut back replacements. Or else just milk suckler cows.

Does anyone think there'll be grants for roofing existing tanks?

If these new proposals under the NAP come into law there will be no grants for roofs or slatted tanks as you can't get a grant if its a legal requirement

That is how it was put to everyone last night on thr ifa meeting

On a related not its not yet confirmed but what ifa and teagasc assume covering of tanks means is open concrete with no slats, lagoons and towers

It's to do with the wind taking away any ammonia

An unroofed concrete tank with slats on it isn't what they're after seemingly

If you're cows are milking less than 4500 litres they have a N value of 80. So you could fill the place with suckler cows, milk them and have good cull price and calf sales price. Never heard such stupidity in all my life. Can you export slurry if in derogation. My adviser told me before that you can't. Maybe he meant you can't export to a fellow derogation farmer.