'In the end the cow tells the truth'

De Boerenbusiness Roughage Tour follows 10 plots of maize and grass spread across the Netherlands this year. High time to take stock of the situation with the 10 participating dairy farmers. This time it is Wim Bos, dairy farmer in Zuidbroek (Groningen).

How has the season gone so far?
"Grass has grown a lot this season compared to last year, but the percentages are a bit disappointing. Last year we mowed 6 cuts with beautiful percentages on paper, but we still had to control something to keep the cows in good production "This year it will stop with 5 cuts and the protein content is a lot lower. We are now 80% over on the new silage and I can't see that in the milk yet. Only the urea has increased a bit. Maybe there will be Too focused on a high protein production of grass. Cutting short is not always the healthiest for a cow. The cow tells the truth."

And how is the corn doing?
"The maize is in varying conditions. During the season we had a few extreme showers with 60 mm or more. Where those showers fell, you can see some water damage. Breaking the sod at NKG is difficult and also costs money. now the necessary effort. The last few years the clay changed due to drought into a kind of gravel box of small clods. That was not the case this year and luckily we were able to sow in time despite the wetness."

"Before emergence, we burned down the plot and then sprayed it with a conventional mix against the weeds. Despite the high weed pressure in the grass last year, we were able to keep it under control - as far as can be seen now. In retrospect, I think that was the case. we could have done with a little less."

As a strategy you mentioned 'the art of omission' at the start of the tour. How did that work out this year?
"This strategy is not new, but we have been using it satisfactorily for a long time. For me, the costs of all those silages, mineral mixes and you name what is available, are often higher than what they yield. Costs that I do not I don't have to earn back either. Representatives and information officers often try to sell something and earn something from it. That's not a bad thing, but as a farmer you have to be aware of that. Provided: everyone then does what they do best and there is no right or wrong. But sometimes I think we should take a more critical look. The average farmer often knows very well what is going on on his farm and is often not inferior to the representative in terms of knowledge."

How do you experience the roughage tour so far?
"It's a nice way to get a look behind the scenes. Everyone works in their own way. Occasionally things come up that make you think about your own business operations. I notice that compared to some colleagues are more into the big picture and less into micromanagement."

Jurphaas Lugtenburg

He is a market specialist in grains and other agricultural commodities at DCA Market Intelligence. He also focuses on onions, potatoes, and roughage. Jurphaas also runs an arable farm in Voorne-Putten (South Holland).

j.lugtenburg @boerenbusiness. Nl

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