The 2024 spring planting and grass-cutting season is now well underway in the south Antrim area, according to one agricultural contractor.
Darren Russell is part of the Russell Brothers team. The business works out of premises close to the village of Templepatrick.
Russell told Agriland that they have more spring crop this year than in years gone by.
“All of the seed was bought at the back end or turn of the year when prices were more realistic,” he said.
“Conditions aren’t ideal and it’s getting late, but the price and availability of straw has kept the acres up.”
“As it’s getting late and with the price of seed barley, if you can get it, maize is going to be a big thing this year.”
Maize planted in early May should be ready for harvest come September.
Russell continued: “Normally, I would like to see crops planted out towards the end of April. But that wasn’t possible this year, due to the very poor weather.
“We don’t provide a maize planting service. However, we will plough the ground and then harvest the crops in the autumn, if the weather allows.”
The past week has seen the Russell Brothers team out with both a harvester and baler, marking the start of the 2024 grass season.
“Some of the ground that was cut then received slurry and farmyard manure in preparation for maize,” Russell continued.
“Roundup will be applied as soon as there is enough leaf showing on the old sward. The last of the barley ground will be ploughed at the start of the week.
“After that, a start will be made on maize stubble. Historically, we’re usually running out of slurry work at this time of the year. We would expect a small lull before grass.
“But, to be honest, everything is going on at the minute; silage, slurry, muck spreading, fertiliser sowing, ploughing, sowing crops, spraying plus our own digger work,” he said.
“We also farm at home, where we are flat out calving suckler cows.”
Russell did acknowledge that his staff are in great form and “love the challenges” that contracting brings in helping others.