Following on from the package of measures announced last week to provide support to farmers, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched another element of the package known as the ‘Red Clover Silage Measure’.
This measure will provide a financial contribution to participating co-op/agri-merchants to offset part of the cost that farmers will incur in the purchase of the red clover silage seed mixture.
Upon fully documented verification of eligibility, a payment contribution rate of €50 per 12kg bag of red clover silage seed mixture will apply to approved applicants purchasing the dedicated red clover silage seed mixture.
The mixture must include 4kg of Red Clover in each 12kg pack. The balance of the seed mixture must contain either perennial ryegrass or hybrid ryegrasses and may contain some White Clover.
The measure will cover seed purchased from the farmer’s date of approval until August 31, 2022.
Farmers wishing to apply for the Red Clover Silage Measure should apply through the agfood portal of the department by the closing date of April 14, 2022.
Launching the measure, Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “I am delighted to announce the launch of the Red Clover Silage Measure, as part of our response to the challenges currently facing the agriculture sector.
“The ability of these swards to produce high protein, high energy feed should allow farmers to lower their concentrate feed bills next winter while at the same time reducing the need for expensive chemical nitrogen,” the minister explained.
The minister argued that the benefits of red clover silage swards are “hard to ignore”.
“Given the crop is most suited to cutting for silage rather than grazing, establishing a red clover sward is definitely an option worth considering by anyone targeting silage ground for reseeding this year,” he said.
Subject to seed availability and farmer demand, it is anticipated that this measure will establish approximately 4,000ha of red clover silage swards.
The measure will be delivered by the department with participating agri-retailers and co-operatives throughout the country.
Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for land Use and biodiversity, pointed out: “Red clover silage swards have been traditionally considered most suited to organic farming systems.
“However, in recent years there has been a growing interest in red clover silage swards across all farming systems as farmers realise the potential this crop offers from both an economic and an environmental perspective.
“This Red Clover Silage Measure, and the Multi Species Sward Measure announced last week, will both provide opportunities for farmers to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of their production systems,” Minister Hackett added.
Minister of State Martin Heydon, who has responsibility for research and innovation, said: “Research on red clover silage swards confirms the ability of red clover to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a plant usable form producing high yielding, highly palatable silage swards delivering up to 14t/DM per hectare.
Minister Heydon also pointed out red clover swards also produce silage with higher crude protein levels of between 16% and 20% allowing for reduced concentrate inputs.
“Red clover swards can lead to higher intakes and increased liveweight gains or increased milk and protein yields. Every farm will have a different set of circumstances to consider but red clover is certainly an option worth examining,” the minister added.