Roughage tour Grass Week 18
What about the grassland areas?
On a number of plots of the Boerenbusiness Roughage Tour already has a nice cut of grass. For dairy farmers who want to mow smoothly, it becomes stealing between showers. What is the difference in grass growth in the Netherlands and how high was the grass around this time last year?
Until now, 2021 has been a very different year from 2020. Where the drought quickly came into play last year, now it is mainly the rain that keeps the dairy farmers participating in the Roughage Tour busy.
North of the Netherlands
In Jelsum Friesland, just under 30 centimeters are measured. Despite the cold, JanDirk Ubbels is not disappointing. Last year, the first cut was harvested on May 8. Depending on what's to come in terms of weather, it will be a little later this year.
Wim Bos from Zuidbroek already measures a nice cut of grass at 24-25 centimetres. ''If it gets dry, the mower can go in'', adds the Groningen dairy farmer.
The North Holland dairy farmer Frank Rooker measures 25 centimeters of grass. The first cut was made on May 7 last year and Rookers will therefore be slightly behind on that schedule.
Middle of the Netherlands
The plot in Gelderland has a grass height of 30 centimetres. Last year, 7 tons of dry matter was mowed in Gelderland on 4 May. Bert Wissels from Hengelo will not make it that early this year.
South of the Netherlands
At Ruben Marijnissen in Zeeland, Chopped the first cut on April 29† Last year this happened on the 24th and is therefore close to each other.
Limburg dairy farmer Silvain Kusters from Guttecoven is now mowing on his plot. The weather just doesn't allow it yet. Last year the first cut was cut on May 4. To date, the differences between the years are not so great.
At Hans shoemakers in Udenhout, 22 centimeters of grass are measured. Last year the first cut of grass was harvested on April 25 and is slightly behind compared to last year.
Erik van der Deure
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