Contractors are busy but machinery costs have gone up

SILAGE season is well underway.

The N17 has been peppered with big tractors carrying large loads of fodder the past few weeks, and balers have been cropping cut grass together into round bales of silage.

The cost of farming machinery has increased this year. Any contractor looking to splash out on a new baler will be paying out between €20,000 and €25,000 more than they would have parted with in 2023.

"Machines are about 20 per cent dearer this year," said Peter Keaveney, a farming contractor and councillor from Glenamaddy, who does bale and pit silage.

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