Sustainable silage project trip to Estonia

Within the framework of the project “Sustainable Silage”, from October 3 to 5, representatives of the Farmers' Council went on an experience exchange trip to Estonia. On the first day of the trip, we visited the Hummuli Agro farm, which is one of the most innovative farms in silage production in Estonia. The farm uses various sustainable agri-environmental methods, including in silage production. The farm has found a good solution to avoid nutrient leakage on the farm territory.

In Estonia, various trials are being conducted for growing grasslands and corn to obtain high-quality silage. For example, grassland monitoring is being carried out, where the length of the plants is measured, the weight is determined, the yield is calculated, and the quality of the grass is analyzed in the laboratory. The data is publicly available to all interested parties. Trials are being conducted on the cultivation of sorghum, a rare crop in our country, both in pure form and in mixtures. Sorghum visually resembles corn, the length of sorghum is also the same as corn, but the amount of water required for sorghum to grow is 40% less than corn. The trials are also looking for various innovative solutions, such as sowing corn under biofilm.

On the second day, we visited the Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge Centre (METK) in Jõgeva, where specialists presented an overview of agricultural production in Estonia, the latest trends and future prospects. The team from the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce provided first insights into silage monitoring on Estonian farms, while the Deputy Director of METK, Marko Kass, shared his experience in using silage wastewater as fertilizer. The Head of Agrotechnology at METK, Kalvi Tamm, spoke about the opportunities and experience in adapting to climate change in feed production. Next, we visited the farm “Sadala Agro”, which is engaged in crop production, dairy production and organic production. The company has an innovative approach to agricultural activities and is testing various new crops and technologies, including in silage production. We also visited the Mangeni PM farm in Koksvere village, which has been engaged in milk production since 2015 with more than 1,700 dairy cows. The farm uses manure to produce biogas. This biogas is used by trucks that transport milk to the dairy plant. The company has innovative approaches to all operations, including silage production.

On the third day, silage consultant Kristiina Märs presented innovative agri-environmental methods and techniques used in silage production in Estonia. This was followed by a discussion on various future trends. We also visited Halinga Dairy Farm, which is one of the pilot farms in our project. The farm is participating in a silage wastewater fertilization trial. The company is engaged in crop production and milk production. The farm has around 2,000 dairy cows and around 4,000 ha of land.