There has to be “better communication” between farmers and contractors going forward about how silage is being cut, the national secretary of the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI), Richard White has said.
A “big problem” that has been going on for years and is beginning to “manifest” itself now is that the spreading of fertiliser is all done in the same week and contractors are “expected” to cut silage within a short timeframe, he said.
“This is not possible for anybody anywhere in the country. Going forward there has to be better communication between the farmer and the contractor about the way the silage is being cut,” White told Agriland.
Silage contractors
The work carried out by silage contractors might need to be “staggered out a bit”, which means that cutting might have to be done in two different lots instead of one go in the first cut, according to White.
When it comes to spreading fertiliser, farmers need to talk to their contractor and see whether they are available to cut silage, he said adding that “we can’t cut everyone’s silage in two, three or four days, no contractor can”.
White reiterated the need for a call-out fee due to the “horrendous” cost of machinery and the cost involved in running the machinery, which he said is “unbelievable”. The FCI previously called for a call-out fee of €50-€100.
Especially small quantities of round baling are a “big problem” where it does not make economic sense considering the cost of machinery, he said and added that contractors should charge a call-out fee plus the charge for the job itself.
Meanwhile, the Tipperary-based silage contractor said that cutting is 10 days behind this year compared to a “normal” year. However, compared to last year, cutting remains 10 days ahead due to heavy rains since last July.