Outsourcing fertiliser spreading this spring
Identifying ways to create more time and get tasks done when they need to be is productive and cost effective. Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Martina Gormley floats the idea of outsourcing fertiliser spreading this spring.
Time is scarce on most farms at this time of year. Very few farmers can say that they have plenty of help, all jobs are done well and on time, and there’s still people looking for work.
Identifying ways to create more time and get tasks done when they need to be is productive and cost effective. One example is outsourcing fertiliser spreading in Spring.
Farmers who have got into the hang of this say it’s a no brainer. Cost varies due to arrangements made, amount spread, distance from yard etc. A general guideline price is €55/t, which can work out between €3-5 per acre – depending on the type of fertiliser being spread and farm size.
For example:
- A 40ha milking block (½ bag of 46% protected urea per acre) and 12 ha out block at 2 bags of 38-0-7 per acre (76 units N/acre) for silage ground.
- Total area spread is 52 ha or 128 acres.
- At €3/acre, that’s a cost of €384.
Benefits:
- Fertiliser is spread at correct time
- Grow more grass
- Save time
- More time to get other tasks done or rest
- Wider spreading widths and GPS
Challenges:
- Mindset/habit/tradition
- Perceived cost / value for money
- Heavy land / wet spots
For a small percent, smaller machines and even quads are best used. Where there are a few wet spots here and there, they can be easily shown to the contractor or marked on a map. For fields that aren’t trafficable, then no tractor should be used (farmer or contractors). Where ground is a bit sticky then contractor can reduce the amount of fertiliser loaded into the spreader. A large percentage of dairy farms have land that the contractor will leave very few marks in. The window for spreading fertiliser can be narrow. Few farms have the time to get it done in one day due to all the other tasks, and when spread over a few days the weather can go against you.
The purpose of this article is not about whether it costs €3 or €5 per acre, it’s to push yourself to do something that isn’t the norm but will save you time this Spring. Discuss the costs with your own contractor for your farm and area.
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