The sunny weather this week has been ideal for harvesting silage and making hay with contractors and farmers taking advantage of the prolonged dry conditions.

Grass crops are reported to be slightly down on last year but that would be due to the late cutting of silage on many farms in 2022 with the second half of May in 2022 staying wet and changeable.

This year, after almost half an inch of rain on 20 May, the conditions changed quickly and ground conditions rapidly improved to allow the heavy machinery into fields.

With prospects of the warm, sunny weather continuing well into next week, there is less urgency to get the winter fodder crops harvested.

However most farmers are conscious of harvesting better quality grass to ensure the high quality silage will demand less concentrates for beef cattle.

Fermanagh farms will benefit most from the warm, sunny weather as the moist soils ensure growth continues for another few weeks at least before there is any need for rain. However the story is different on lighter soils in the east of the Province which dry out quickly and grass growth will suffer.

This week's GrassCheck shows a predicted fall in grass growth due to the dry conditions and also the low overnight temperatures.