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Farmer Concerns Mount Over Slurry Storage Capacity

Thursday, 12 February 2026 15:11

FRS Co-Op is a multi-sector co-op operating across multiple services.

A new survey of farm service managers and team leads by FRS Co-Op is showing slurry tanks are becoming an issue for farmers who cannot spread during the prolonged wet weather.

The January 2026 Calving Insights Survey also shows on average 23% of cows have calved on farms this spring.

The surplus of rain that Ireland has been experiencing recently has added much stress and worry too farmers across the country.

The 2026 Calving Insights Survey shows the views of FRS Co-Op farm service managers and team leads for insights on the spring calving season and reveals there is growing concern on farms nationwide over the excessive rainfall in recent weeks and its knock-on impact for the rest of the spring.

Right across the country, farm service managers say farmers are grappling with rapidly rising slurry tanks with little opportunity to spread on fields.

At the same time, operators have noted that most farmers are unable to get calved cows out on grass, which is adding cost at a time when milk prices remain under pressure.

The findings come as Ireland continues to be impacted by wet and rainy conditions this week, with fields in many areas of the country still heavily waterlogged or flooded.

Aside from the difficult weather conditions, the latest Calving Insights survey by FRS Co-Op has found that just over 20% of cows are now calved on farms in Ireland as of the 31st of January.

On average, just over two thirds (67%) of farms had started calving by the end of the month. The majority of farms (55%) started calving at a similar time to last year. In contrast, just over a quarter (27%) of farms commenced calving earlier this year according to FRS Co-Op farm service managers, while just under a fifth (18%) of farms are reported to be behind compared to last year.

Despite the wet and rainy weather, service managers are not reporting any major animal health issues arising on farms so far in 2026. Just over a quarter (27%) of operators noted typical animal health issues on farms, including minor bouts of pneumonia and scour.

Helena Silke, National Training Coordinator at FRS Farm Services, says:

“Calving is a tiring and difficult period of the year for Irish farmers. From surveying our network of farm service managers and team leads in FRS Co-Op, it’s clear that these challenges have been compounded by the wet weather we have experienced over the last few weeks. Although farmers are resilient and have mostly remained on schedule in terms of calving, issues around slurry storage and cattle feed could continue to be a problem.

 “The calving season always places increased stress on farmers at this time of year, and I will encourage farmers to reach out for need support if they need additional help this spring. FRS Co-Op has capacity to offer resources to farmers in need of help and ensure the 2026 calving season progresses smoothly.”

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