Fodder beet harvest expected to kick off in earnest next week
Fodder beet will be available over the coming days at around €70/t, according to Co. Kilkenny tillage farmer and contractor, Edward Delahunty.
“That’s washed and delivered to a man’s farm within 10 miles of my own yard,” he added.
“Beet crops are looking tremendously well at the present time. They are very even in nature.
“Beet suffered a little bit from the drought earlier in the season. But the recent rains have helped to remedy this situation to a tremendous extent.”
Delahunty said the drier weather forecasted for the coming week will assist in getting the harvest in.
“There is a week or maybe more of good weather coming in. The plan is to start harvesting our own beet crops at the start of next week.
“All crops have performed very well this year. And fodder beet is turning out to be a similar story.
"We may well be looking at yields in the range 28-32t/ac. Root size is also very good.”
Forage maize
Where forage maize is concerned, Delahunty is coming to the end of this year’s harvest.
He said: “We still have some open and plastic-covered crops still to cut. But here again the story is very good.
“Yields are up by 4t/ac of fresh weight on average, year-on-year.
“At the present time, we are harvesting crops that are yielding in the range 22-23t/ac."
The Co. Kilkenny farmer said the equivalent figures in 2024 were 18-19t/ac.
He added: “But dry matters and starch values are also excellent this year. What we are seeing now is ripe cobs on green crops.
“Prior to this, the leaf material on the maize plants would have died back almost entirely to allow us get to such a high degree of cob maturity.
“Also adding to the quality of the forages produced is the fact that so little effluent is coming out of these crops.”
The Kilmanagh-based contractor specialises in the production of maize silage bales, made using a bespoke static baling system
He commented: “Our bales are currently averaging 970kg at 35% dry matter and 34% starch. They are available at €90/bale ex-yard.
“And demand continues to grow. Once livestock and dairy farmers start to use maize silage they never look back.
“They very quickly recognise the tremendous quality of the forage.”
It has been estimated that around 55,000ac of forage maize has been grown across the island of Ireland in 2025. And this area looks set to grow.
