Methinks that all the planets have now aligned to deliver an ‘abundance of opportunities’ for Ireland’s animal feed-milling businesses. Let’s consider the facts.
The recent rollover of the BEEP- S (Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot – Sucklers) programme will encourage suckler herdowners to feed more meal to calves over the coming months, while the Sheep Welfare Scheme contains similar provisions where the feeding of ewes is concerned.
Meanwhile, the focus now being placed on 24-month calf-to-beef systems will encourage more intense feeding of meal to dairy-bred calves, particularly in the months post-weaning.
Teagasc research has identified the absolute necessity of ensuring that concentrates are made available to weanlings during their first season at grass.
All of this is great news – if you are in the feed-compounding business. But the biggest prize of all – a switch to greater levels of winter milk output – has yet to be realised.
Change is coming
The Glanbia debacle, and the debate that followed, has pointed to the absolute necessity for significant numbers of Irish dairy farmers to entertain a greater commitment to autumn calving as they develop their businesses.
If, and when all of these developments take place, the increased turnover achieved by the feed milling sector will amount to significant multiples of millions of euro. And good luck to everyone involved.
If the payback at farm level comes in the form of significantly achieved animal performance, then everyone involved is a winner.
It goes without saying that grazed grass is Ireland’s greatest asset and this must remain the case.
Grass alone is not enough
But grass alone is not a totally balanced feed for ruminant livestock. As a case in point, I have interviewed a number of dairy farmers over the last number of months – all of whom have told me that they will keep up meal feeding levels well into the summer.
The driving force behind this approach is their fear of cows being impacted by early embryo loss.
They know this is happening and are attributing the problem to the excessive consumption of lush grass, containing high levels of nitrogen.
Equally, the confirmation from Teagasc that rumen development in weanling calves can be negatively impacted if they are put on to a grass-only diet too soon, is extremely revealing.
Everything in life is about balance. Again, consider the facts. Huge strides have been made in improving the genetic potential of Ireland’s dairy cow, beef cattle and breeding sheep populations.
But grass alone was never going to ensure that all of this potential could be translated into improved performance on the ground.
Given this backdrop, the strategic need for enhanced levels of meal and concentrate feeding becomes obvious.