Forage Stocks & Maize Harvest
- Sam Kelly
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
Forage Stocks
As I sit writing this update in the middle of the fourth heatwave of the year, the chances of the later bumper cuts of grass appear to be dwindling. Maize crops are variable, with some part failures, and some very short crops, and some almost ‘normal’ height. The good news with the shorter crops is that the cobs seem to be a really good size, so the quality will be excellent, but that doesn’t help with the issue we are seeing on the majority of farms – a severe lack of bulk in the clamps, and generally lower quality than normal on the forage we do have.
It is critical to plan now to ensure winter rations don’t run short, or become significantly more expensive. Preparing a full forage budget now will allow you to understand the gap you are likely to have on your farm (if any). Closing that gap early will be essential to keep costs under control as much as possible. Forage prices have already shot up (both standing and clamped), and straw is also following suit. However, moist feeds such as Trafford Gold and AmyPlus are still priced extremely competitively, and are a very sensible option to extend forage stocks. I would suggest it would be sensible to buy in several loads at once and clamp them either under grass silage or maize.
When calculating your forage stocks, it is important to adjust for dry matter. We are generally seeing much drier grass silage this year (it was dry before you had a chance to get back and pick it up!), but this does mean we have more dry matter in the clamp than we would normally have, so your stocks may be better than you think.
We would be very pleased to assist with assessment of forage stocks, quality, and a forage budget and provide recommendations to ensure your stocks last through, please get in touch with your usual consultant, or call the office on 01454 614624.
Maize Harvest
It is extremely early, but several of the maize crops I have seen in the past week are much fitter than I expected them to be at this stage. Some crops are 10 days away from harvest, and the heat this week could certainly accelerate that. I have also seen several crops which are at a normal stage for this time of year, so it’s really important to check your own crops closely. If you would like us to check your crops please get in touch.
Animal Health & Welfare: funded vet visits — now per herd/flock
You can now claim a funded AHWP review for each distinct herd or flock (for example, multiple dairy herds), plus an optional endemic disease follow-up. The current payment rates are £372 for Dairy, £522 for Beef, £436 for Sheep and £557 for Pigs. You are entitled to up to 3 annual reviews before 19 June 2027, so if you haven’t any funding in the last 12 months, please get in touch and we can put an application in for you.
Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants – Closed
DEFRA has confirmed the 2025 Capital Grants pot is fully allocated and the offer is closed. The next round is expected in 2026. If you started an application but didn’t submit before closure, it won’t be accepted unfortunately.
SFI
As we reported previously, the Government are currently reviewing the SFI offer and we are due to receive an update on the ‘new’ scheme this Summer. We will provide an update as soon as we have the details, but any new scheme won’t be available for applications until 2026.
If you have an existing SFI scheme, don’t forget you can make changes at the annual renewal, either to reduce option areas by up to 50%, or add in additional areas and options. Its certainly worth considering increasing your SFI area at the annual renewal given that we don’t know what future SFI schemes will look like.
Sam Kelly
07777 696080
Charlie Davies
07904 601104
Office 01454 614624
Commentaires