News &
Insights

With the easing of Covid restrictions, Fane Valley are happy to announce a series of farm walks next week, by kind invitation of the host farmers. These events will focus on forage, highlighting how farmers can improve their forage production and utilisation through management, soil nutrition, plant varieties and the use of silage additives.  …

This week has seen record temperatures throughout Northern Ireland and therefore, the risk of heat stress in cattle is at its highest. What is Heat Stress? Heat stress is when cattle fail to control their body temperature and it starts to rise. A cow’s body temperature needs to remain a constant 38.8 oC (± 0.5…

Many of the on farm Anaerobic Digestion plants in N.Ireland are utilising silage within the plant to produce biogas, using both grass and whole crop silage as the main feedstock. The Agronomy and Forage team at Fane Valley work with Plant operators, through the supply of products and knowledge, from seed selection, agronomy, nutrient recommendations,…

Dr Stephen Bell from Markethill, Co. Armagh has been appointed to the Agronomy and Forage Services business at Fane Valley as Technical Support Manager.  A graduate in Agriculture from Queen’s University Belfast, Stephen completed a PhD on potato pathology and physiology based at the Plant Testing Station Crossnacreevy. On completion of his doctorate, Stephen worked…

Winter cereal crops are now fast approaching the stage suitable for cutting for wholecrop. Feeding wholecrop cereal silage alongside grass silage can significantly increase the animals dry matter intake and help maximise rumen function. For these reasons wholecrop is becoming an increasingly popular feed on livestock farms. Cereals crops such as wheat, barley, oats and…

Worm control and the development of an effective worm control plan for sheep farms comes down to understanding of what is happening on individual farms throughout the year, that includes the farm structure, stocking density, management facilities available, and being aware of potential anthelmintic resistance issues. Understanding what is happening on each individual farm helps…

The control of annual and perennial weeds is good practice and a useful tool for productive grassland farming. Enhancing performance through maximising the yield of grass and ensuring optimum sward utilisation, which in turn can achieve a 10:1 return on spend with herbicides. Timing of herbicide applications are paramount to achieving the best results. Applications…

Favourable weather conditions have resulted in accelerated grass growth in recent weeks. Laura McConnell, Ruminant Nutritionist with Fane Valley feeds, explains, “As grass growth reaches its seasonal peak, now is the perfect opportunity to maximise milk from grass.” In a bid to help optimise grass utilisation, Fane Valley Feeds publishes a Grass Monitor, which can…

Growing a forage crop for the winter can be a great way of producing valuable low cost forage whilst also reducing pressure on housing and slurry storage. Early sown crops can also be used to fill any grazing gaps in late summer. In terms of summer sown forage crops the options are either brassica crops…