RWAS All-Wales Silage competition winner
Despite a less than ideal season competitors in this year’s All-Wales Silage competition run by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society in conjunction with the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies, achieved excellent standards of silage quality, said the judges in their report of the annual event.
The winner, John Harries of Velindre Farm, St Nicholas, Fishguard, a member of the North Pembrokeshire Grassland Society, came out on top by a narrow margin, they said, showing in the final inspection an excellent level of grassland productivity as well as a very good level of animal production from silage.
Mr Harries farms 450 acres on which he runs a herd of 360 dairy cows plus followers. The winning silage with DM 30%. ME 12.1, CP 14.8, NH3-N 5.5 an intake potential of 107, is the foundation for annual milk sales of 8000 litres per cow. The farm has a 3 cut system in May, June and August, producing 3700t of conserved forage.
The runner up in the 2008 competition is Brecon Grassland Society member, Philip Williams of Greenway Farm, Llanhamlach, Brecon. He runs a beef, sheep and arable unit of 799 acres with 294 acres of arable, 1300 ewes and replacements, 280 finishing cattle under 24 months of age and 26 sucklers.
The silage analysis under a 2 cut system showed DM 30%, ME 11.8, CP 14.8, NH3-N 5.0 and an intake potential of 111.
The other finalists in the competition were R Williams of Pont Llyfni, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, (South Caernarfon Grassland Society); Richard Evans of Bryn Crug, Tywyn, Meirionnydd, (Meirionnydd Grassland Society); and T G Morgan of Llanarth, Ceredigion, (Mid Cardiganshire Grassland Society).