BEST quality silage is key to the production of meat and milk on so many Welsh farms and the annual competition jointly promoted by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies is one of the most keenly contested in the industry.

Maintaining the trend, the 2017 clamp silage competition which has been running since 1979 again saw some quite superb winter fodder produced by many of the best silage growers across Wales.

The winner of the competition, sponsored by Wynnstay Group plc and supported by Agri Lloyd International Ltd, is William Lawrence of Pointz Farm, Penycwm in Pembrokeshire.

This competition is open to all members of the 20 Welsh Grassland Societies and five regional finalists were selected to go through to the final stage for consideration by technical judge, John Evans, industry sponsor, Dr Huw McConochie and last year’s winner, Richard Phillips.

Whilst the quality of the silage is a key factor, the judges also see for themselves clamp management and feeding practices amongst other efficiency markers.

A member and past chairman of the North Pembrokeshire Grassland Society, William’s winning entry was made predominantly from intermediate and late heading ryegrass mixtures, both diploid and tetraploid.

It analysed out at DM 30.2%, D-value 75.5%, ME 12.1 MJ/kg DM, and CP 16.1%.

Farming in a family partnership with his wife, Lydia and parents, Richard and Jill, the farm carries a 300 cow dairy herd with an average milk yield of 6,285 kgs/cow, butterfat 4.17 % and protein, 3.42%.

Some 150 beef cattle are also reared each year and sold at 18 -24 months and there are also around 400 acres of arable and 40 acres of lucerne grown on the 1,008 south-west facing acres less than 250ft above sea level.

Last year, 180 acres of grassland were taken for first cut on 12 May, 150 for second on 23 June and 45 for third cut on 11 August yielding a total of 2,940 tonnes fresh weight (5.9t DM/ha @30.2%DM. Grass was wilted for 36 -48hrs and an additive used. There was also a further 800 tonnes of dry cow forage and 750 tonnes of other forage

Runner up, Gerald W Watkin is a member of Aberystwyth Grassland Society. He farms 480 acres which carries a herd of 275 high yielding milkers and a breeding flock amounting to 375 ewes.

The awards will be presented at the Royal Welsh Show next week.