The matter in summary Bardubonden Harald Bjørnsen has experienced a record season with three cuts and production of 1,839 round bales, against the normal around 1,500. Increased quality of the fodder has also been observed, with more energy-rich and dry fodder. With good quality own feed, there will be less import of raw materials for concentrated feed, which increases the Norwegian share of what the cow gets to eat. Although it has been a hot and long summer throughout northern Norway, not all farmers have had a good harvest, in some places the grass has been burnt. In Eastern Norway, there have been good growing conditions for vegetables, but there is less grain and poorer quality. Despite three hot summers in a row in the north, it is not a given that it will produce good crops. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It has been a long season. We cut the first mow on Midsummer’s Eve, we have never started so early before. And there have been three mowings this year. We’ve never had that here on the farm. Harald Bjørnsen is the fourth generation farmer on Østhagen farm in Bardu in Indre Troms. Here he has both dairy cows and beef cattle, and during the winter the cows will move into an extended and modern barn. The herd is to be doubled, and then it is good to have a productive summer so that the cows can enjoy the whole winter. For 86 years, the farm has been in the family’s possession. Never before have they produced so many round balls. – I have pressed 1,839 round bales this year, says Bjørnsen. In a normal season, he produces around 1,500 round balls. The farmer has the largest stock of round bales on his farm. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news However, it is not just quantity that matters. Because the quality of the fodder determines whether there have been good mowings. That has been the case for the farmer this year. – The feed is more energy-rich this year, and much of the feed is dry, he says. More short-distance food for the cows – In Troms in general it has been a good summer. It has resulted in three mows in several areas, says Ole Petter Melhus. He is a member of Trom’s farmers’ association and sits on Tine’s council. He also runs a farm in Bardu, and, like Bjørnsen, has for the first time had three mowers on some of his fields. – There may not be much volume in the last cut, but it is leafy grass with a high energy content and good protein. So you can combine the various cuts and provide a basis for savings on the concentrate portion, says Melhus. Colleague and fellow resident Ole Petter Melhus inspires Harald Bjørnsen’s round balls. He too has had three cuts this year. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news With good quality own feed, there will be less import of raw materials for concentrated feed. With protein-rich feed from own farms, you can reduce the protein concentration in the concentrated feed that is purchased. – So the Norwegian share of what the cow gets to eat throughout the day is going to be higher if you have good forage, and we have that this year. At least in Troms, says Melhus. A warm month of September has meant that the grass is still growing well on the farmer’s fields. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news Good for the grass – worse for the grain – Two mowers are standard, three is “wow”, says Sandra Overvåg. She is an adviser and fertilizer planner in Landbruk Nord, and has received reports of three mows in several places in the county. Bjørnsen has had a slightly smaller tower of round bales stacked by a neighbor a little further down the road. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news But even though it has been a hot and long summer throughout northern Norway this year, not all farmers have had a good harvest. – It has been both good and bad. There are some places where it has been drier. Then the grass becomes dry, and it grows little. Someone must add more feed, she says. The cows are still grazing on good grass, well into September. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news Ole Kristian Bergerud in Østfold farming association can also report good crops this year, despite the fact that the summer has been both colder and wetter than normal. – Considering the grass crops, I have heard that there are quite large crops, bigger than in a normal year. I haven’t heard much about the quality yet, but the volume is great. We are very happy with that, he says. There must have been good growing conditions for the vegetables in Eastern Norway as well. Kornet, on the other hand, has not enjoyed this year’s summer. – It looked like there was a lot of grain in the fields, but when we started harvesting we saw that there is less grain than we thought. The grain is also lighter and of poorer quality, says Bergerud. Ole-Kristian Bergerud in Østfold Bondelag is happy about good grass crops in the county, but the grain has not fared as well. Photo: Caroline Bergli Tolfsen / news Rainfall is important The reason is a dry May, which has caused the growth of the grain to get off to a bad start. Later in the summer, it became excessively damp for the grain. It is still not as bad as last year, which was referred to as the worst grain year of all time. – Consumers in Norway get what they need in the store, there is no problem. We deliver what we can, and we import what we need extra, assures Bergerud. No matter where in the country the farmers live, it is important to have enough rainfall. And although there have been three hot summers in a row in the north, it is not a given that it will produce good crops. Bardu farmer Harald Bjørnsen can sign it. Last year the situation was completely different on his farm. – Then there was grass that was scorched, and a lot of it I couldn’t get a second hand on. I had to buy feed this year because there was too little. I’ve made up for it this year, he says with a smile. Last year, Harald Bjørnsen barely got two mows on his fields. This year he has made up for it, with a record amount of fodder on his farm. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news Published 16.09.2024, at 17.23
ttn-69
Never before happened on the 86-year-old family farm – news Troms and Finnmark
