Contractors were working around the clock this week as excellent weather conditions allowed silage and haymaking across the county after a few days of stoppage at the end of last week.

The warm sunny conditions with temperatures up to 25 degrees C on Monday and Tuesday, helped to wilt mown grass to enhance the quality of silage.

Conrtractors already had made a good start to the season with a large acreage completed when fine conditions prevailed at the beginning of June, despite a poor weather forecast.

It means many more farms will have their silage making completed by this weekend.

Many farmers also took advantage of the fine spell to mow for hay. The excellent drying conditions had enabled much of this to be baled by yesterday(Wednesday).

The warm days and nights have allowed great growing conditions and those farmers who had cut silage earlier were seeing rapid regrowth in the swards.