'First cut of grass difficult to predict'

Earlier on it was already known that (dairy) farmers are very hesitant about buying additional roughage, because the grass is expected to grow fast. This has everything to do with the weather conditions of the past and coming period. Roughage specialist VisscherHolland says that the grass has hardly had any winter rest. "The grass did not have to recover from a long snow cover or bare dry frost period. This allowed it to grow slowly", says specialist René Verhoeven.

In the first 3 months of the year it was warmer than the multi-year average, with it even being exceptionally warm in February. In that month the temperature was 2,8 degrees Celsius higher than the multi-year average and 5,4 degrees Celsius higher than February 2018. In addition, Verhoeven says that since Friday 15 February manure has been applied to many plots under favorable soil and weather conditions. "We see that mineralization is well underway and we also see that in the growth phase of the grass."

'Early first cut'
VisscherHolland therefore expects the first cut of grass to take place 10 days earlier than in previous years. Last year the first cut was made in Maytaken from the country under good conditions. Yields of up to 4 tons of dry matter per hectare were then harvested. Although it turned out then that the yield of 4 tons was only feasible for the plots that had received the main fertilization early.

According to Verhoeven, it is important to realize that the first cut occurs faster than in other years. "Mowing on the same date as last year will probably affect yield quality." According to Verhoeven, this has to do with the coordination of fertilization. "If the fertilization is geared to a first cut of 3.500 kilos of dry matter with a protein percentage of 16%, then the protein content will drop to 12% when mowing with a heavier cut (4.500 kilos of dry matter)."

'Still a lot unclear'
In contrast, not everyone is convinced that the first cut will be earlier this year than in other years. According to the forage traders, the weather is currently far too unpredictable to substantiate such expectations. "If there is a period of cool weather in the short term, grass growth will stop again," several traders report. No price predictions have yet been made, which may be an indication that there is still little clarity about the quality and progress of the grass.

Predominantly dry spring weather is expected for the coming period, with a small shower locally. It should be noted that the proportion of sun varies from day to day. In the southern part of the country, the temperature can quickly rise to around 15 degrees Celsius, while the northern provinces have to make do with 10 to 13 degrees Celsius. In the long term, the chance of changeable weather increases, so there is still little clarity.

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