2020 Silage Competition

The AgriScot Silage Competition, is now open for entries. 

It is once again generously sponsored by Watson Seeds Ltd, providing a prize value of over £5000. The competition has classes for “beef/sheep” and “dairy” clamp silages and also big bale silage. Entries can be from any cut of silage. There is also a special young farmers class for producers under 26 years of age to enter any pit silage.

Read more here.  And to enter the competition e-mail Andrew Best at andrew.best@virgin.net

2019 Award Results

After a bumper-yielding year, the winners of the 2019 silage competition at AgriScot have been announced.

With classes for dairy and beef clamp silages, as well as the big bale silage category and a young farmers class for producers under 26 years of age to enter any pit silage, the samples were analysed in the main ring by judge Hugh McClymont, from Crichton Royal Farm Dumfries, and guest judge former RHASS Chairman Jimmy Warnock.

The winners from each category were as follows:

Beef Category:

1. Andrew McFadzean, Dalchomie Farm. Cut on the 15th of May this year, this sample analysed at 31.7 dry matter (DM), 12.3 metabolisable energy (ME) and 16.2 crude protein (CP).

2. Robert Black, Drochil Castle Farm

3. Murray Cooper, Backhill of Thornton.

Dairy Category:

1. Brian Weatherup, Parkend Farm. This sample analysed at 31.3 dry matter (DM), 12.2 metabolisable energy (ME) and 15.8 crude protein (CP).

2. Willie Cuthbertson, Drummuir Farm

3. Scott Calderwood, Holme Farm.

Big Bale Silage Category:

1. Redknock Estate. This sample analysed at 71.7 dry matter (DM), 12.41 metabolisable energy (ME) and 14.93 crude protein (CP).

2. Philip and David Clark, Ballylagan Farm Ltd

3. John Watson, High Mark Farm.

Young Farmer category:

1. Thomas Birkett of West Cairgaggan (Craigcosh). This sample analysed at 37.6 dry matter (DM), 12.1 metabolisable energy (ME) and 15.5 crude protein (CP).

2. Mark & Robert Hunter of West Tarbrax Farm

3. Fraser Thomson of Kirkton of Beith Farm.

Designed to encourage farmers to better evaluate their silage and silage growing strategies, the 2019 competition will see prizes worth over £5000 awarded, courtesy of Watson Seeds.

Competition organiser, Andrew Best, from sponsor, Watson Seeds commented:

“This year we’ve had twelve excellent entries for the dairy, beef, big bale and young farmer categories, all of whom were very commendable in quality and attention to detail that has gone into producing these samples, and this year is the first year that he beef entries had superseded the dairy entries.”