With the date for the ending of the closed period for slurry spreading just around the corner, contractors will soon be busy spreading slurry for farmers.
There was a varied response from contractors when asked by Agriland regarding the demand from farmers for the spreading of slurry when the closed period ends in their county.
A Co. Cork based contractor told Agriland that there is “big pressure on the contractors” to “take the pressure off” farmers.
While this contractor said they “don’t know what the next fortnight is going to bring” in terms of the weather, they said that the slurry would still have to be done to relieve the pressure on the slurry tanks on farms.
“If you had six or seven loads taken out of every tank, sure that would keep a fella going for another month.
“It’s a fire brigade exercise trying to get around to them all,” the contractor added.
Slurry spreading
A representative of Clare Agri Contracting, based in Ennis, Co. Clare, said they have been “taking bookings since just before Christmas”.
They commented that the first week of the closed period ending is “fairly full” with farmers booked in, and added that “some will spread their slurry just to relieve the pressure until February.
“They have to get some bit out, even if it’s only two or three feet to relieve the pressure on it.”
While they said the ground is “saturated” and will require significant drying, they said there is a lot of grass cover in places.
Farmers in these areas, they said, would aim to “get their cows out at the end of January, early February during a dry spell” in order to “take off cover”, but only after this, will the slurry be spread.
Egmont Agri Ltd., based close to Buttevant in north Co. Cork said that farmers in the region are “all looking for” slurry spreading to be done.
“We’ve farmers telling us, once the 13th comes, we’ll want you.
“When it comes to March, they’d have good grass if they can get slurry out early,” they added.
This particular contractor said that an additional cause for concern is the lack of trained drivers to actually carry out the slurry spreading.
“Getting staff to drive them is the problem. You’re closed down so long, the staff are gone.”
Speaking to a Co. Wexford based contractor, they were optimisitic that a dry period would be enough to meet a “huge demand” from farmers in the area.
“It’ll be full swing the minute it goes out. The weather is picking up so hopefully we’ll be able to get out on to the land.”