Storage, nutritional value and processing of grass silage

South Africa's sunny weather makes it an ideal place for hay production. However, unpredictable weather patterns – such as the widespread, late-summer rainfall experienced earlier this year – can disrupt haymaking, leaving producers with no choice but to turn to silage.

- Richardt Venter

In recent years, traditional hay crops such as Eragrostis, Smutsfinger, and lucerne have increasingly been used for silage-making, and with good results. Producers who have made the switch report that, once the numbers are crunched, grass silage delivers significant savings in terms of operational costs.

Supplement on-farm fodder flow

Utilising hay isn’t always cost-effective in the long run. Many users of lucerne and other grass hays purchase large volumes and transport them over considerable distances from irrigation areas to their farms. The rising costs are not just due to logistics - local supply is also affected by the export market's growing demand for lucerne.

This makes a compelling case for farms to supplement their fodder flow with self-grown sources of protein-rich roughage, such as lucerne or early-cut grass. However, several technical considerations must be taken into account.