Organic Dairy Farmers Brace for Forage Shortage This Winter

This lack of grass growth since early spring has particularly impacted the organic sector. Following stalled growth from July, existing forage reserves are being depleted rapidly.

Ben Trott, ForFarmers' organic commercial manager, described the situation as a "double-edged sword", with strong demand and high prices for organic milk juxtaposed against limited supply. In his advisory, Trott emphasized the necessity for organic producers to draft a forage budget and to assess alternatives amidst limited options. He stressed the importance of forage analysis to maintain quality.

Unlike their conventional counterparts, organic farmers have fewer feed alternatives due to regulatory constraints on feed composition, which mandate a minimum of 60% forage in cows' dry matter intake. As a stopgap, Defra is offering derogations for the use of conventional forage under specific conditions, urging farmers to pre-emptively secure alternatives like root crops to mitigate the crisis.