Tipperary farmer concerns mount over slurry storage capacity as wet weather continues

The heavy rain experienced on farms right across the country over the last few weeks has added considerable stress and worry to Irish farmers this spring, a new survey by Roscrea-based FRS Co-Op has found.

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

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Right across the country, farm service managers have said 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 almost 38% of cows are now calved on farms in Tipperary as of January 31, with approximately 85% of farms in the county having started their calving process.

These figures show the Premier County is substantially further along than the national average, with only 23% of cows having calved across the country by the end of January.

Meanwhile, only two-thirds (67%) of farms nationally 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.

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Helena Silke, National Training Coordinator at FRS Farm Services, said: “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.”