Farmers grab grain as straw sits and waits

The harvest has progressed in the last seven days, but almost half the straw crop remains on the ground, according to IFA grain committee chair Liam Dunne.

While the National Ploughing Championships are normally a mandatory event for all tillage farmers, Tuesday saw them busy in their own fields around the country as the weather offered an opportunity to move the harvest toward conclusion.

At this stage, the grain harvest is mostly concluded in the eastern half of the country, with cutting opportunities presenting themselves since Friday. Beans are being harvested, mainly around the 20% moisture mark, with yields variable but generally decent.

Meanwhile, the struggle continues across the western half of the country, with only a few hours cutting daily meaning between 15,000ha and 25,000ha remain to be cut. While crops were harvested, little straw was baled, and most of that from freshly cut crops where the straw had not been dampened by the ground.

The heavy rain on Wednesday means farmers are looking to next week’s possible uplift in weather as the next window of opportunity.

There is still little by way of solid prices, although there has been some hardening of the local market as yields tail off due to weather-inflicted losses. Dunne has warned that a minimum of €140/t for green barley is required to underpin the viability of grain farmers.

“Persistent and heavy rain has disrupted combining across the country over the last few weeks and in particular from south of Cork city, right along the western seaboard and across many parts of the midlands,” he said, highlighting that for many it is a repeat of last year’s difficulties. “Close on 40% of the national straw crop remains to be baled up, leading to a famine of quality straw for the livestock industry.

“Unless there is a dramatic turnaround in grain prices and a significant reduction in input and machinery costs, there is limited future for tillage farming in Ireland,” he added, pointing to the reduction in tillage acreage – down 20% in a decade and 15,000ha this year alone.”

Merchants and co-ops must step up to the plate and pay a minimum of €140/t for green grain,” he concluded.