Rain may have arrived in many areas, but farmers at Tullow Mart in Co. Carlow say the recent spell of dry weather has resulted in producers selling livestock early or having to buy additional feed.

Agriland was at the mart's weekly sheep sale to hear directly from farmers about the impact of the drought, the cost and availability of fodder and how livestock prices have been performing recently.

One farmer said that he has certainly noticed an increase in farmers offloading livestock recently to reduce feed demand.

"There's no grass in my part of the country; people either have to sell stock or buy feed in," he said.

He added that the combination of rising feed costs and falling factory prices have made this decision a particularly difficult one for farmers.

The farmer estimated that lamb prices had fallen from €9.20/kg to approximately €8/kg in the span of six weeks, while the cost of meal has increased.

With rainfall finally arriving in the south-east, this farmer felt that there may be enough grass for sheep to graze in three weeks time, but he was far less optimistic for cattle.

For local farmers looking to buy feed in, he claimed that the price of silage bales had risen from €35/bale to as much as €50/bale over the course of this summer.

Fodder

Another farmer, who operates a mixed tillage, sheep and cattle enterprise, noted that he is expecting to be 90 to 100 bales of silage short this year due to the prolonged dry spells.

The farmer said that the dry conditions have stunted the grass growth that would have allowed him to get another cut in during late August into September.

One sheep farmer said that he has been feeding meal since lambing, with his cost of feeding store lambs reaching €30 to €35/head.