A feed survey by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has shown “growing demand” nationwide for organic feed of all types to meet requirements for winter 2024/25.
The online survey received 912 responses and will be used to highlight the opportunities for tillage farmers to grow grain and grain or protein crops to meet the growing demands.
It showed that on average organic farmers travel 39km to purchase additional concentrates or ration.
This distance varies from 29km in the border region to 45km in the mid-west.
The department said it is “reasonable” to calculate that overall demand for concentrates will be in the region of 33,000 tonnes.
For straights, demand could be in the region of 20,000 tonnes, 6,000 tonnes of protein crops (such as a pea/barley mix), 50,000 bales of silage and hay, and 5,000 bales of wholecrop.
Organic straight feeds
Respondents were asked the total quantity of organic straights or grains; barley; oats; grain or pea mix; and wheat they intended on purchasing in tonnes from harvest 2024.
Region Number of responses Straights or grains Barley Oats Grain/pea mix Wheat Nationwide 912 3,609 395 458 1,103 169 Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan,
Sligo193 553 46 45 180 7 Mayo, Roscommon,
Galway235 931 105 123 152 39 Clare, Tipperary,
Limerick130 413 45 54 118 20 Carlow, Kilkenny,
Wexford, Waterford70 359 41 68 153 22 Kerry, Cork 133 525 32 37 245 13 Dublin, Kildare,
Meath, Wicklow, Louth61 289 63 39 91 51 Laois, Longford,
Offaly, Westmeath90 539 63 92 165 18
The survey indicates that the participants are planning to purchase over 1,100t of grain or pea mix.
The demand for this feed varies from 245t in the south-west, 180t in the border region and 153t in the south-east regions.
Compound feeds
Survey responses indicated a demand for 6,000t of organic concentrates for the 2024/25 winter.
42% of which is beef concentrate feed with the remainder comprising sheep (28%), dairy (20%), and poultry feed (6%).
Region Beef Sheep Dairy Poultry ‘Other’ Nationwide 1307 875 626 191 80 Cavan, Donegal,
Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo152 174 30 131 21 Mayo, Roscommon,
Galway323 381 50 5 26 Clare, Tipperary,
Limerick167 15 20 15 8 Carlow, Kilkenny,
Wexford, Waterford101 42 222 3 11 Kerry, Cork 102 138 182 16 5 Dublin, Kildare,
Meath, Wicklow, Louth199 81 117 19 6 Laois, Longford,
Offaly, Westmeath264 45 105 2 3
There is a demand across all regions but particularly in the border, west, south-west and midland regions.
A lot of respondents indicated demand for dairy concentrate feed in the south-east region and for both beef and sheep concentrates in the western counties of Mayo, Roscommon and Galway.
Forage
Survey respondents indicated demand for over 5,400 silage bales; 4,700 hay bales; 1,100 bales of wholecrop; and 679 bales of red clover silage.
Other forage required by survey participants includes mainly straw.
Region Silage Hay Wholecrop Red clover Organic ‘other’ Nationwide 5424 4757 1099 679 1565 Cavan, Donegal,
Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo1130 1144 15 11 49 Mayo, Roscommon,
Galway1310 1000 210 100 470 Clare, Tipperary,
Limerick1108 708 69 40 299 Carlow, Kilkenny,
Wexford, Waterford750 590 550 90 1 Kerry, Cork 430 669 4 37 359 Dublin, Kildare,
Meath, Wicklow, Louth211 406 251 101 50 Laois, Longford,
Offaly, Westmeath485 240 0 300 337
The 912 responses represents approximately a quarter of organic farmers in the Republic of Ireland before the 2024 intake.
With an additional 1,000 farmers in organics from January 1 this year, participants would represent a fifth of all organic farmers.