Professor Gerry Boyle of Teagasc estimates that there is 20% of straw left to bale and 30% of the pea crop to harvest in Ireland. In a presentation to an Oireachtas committee on the future of the tillage sector in Ireland this evening, Professor Boyle outlined the current difficulties faced by the tillage sector.
Professor Gerry Boyle of Teagasc estimates that there is 20% of straw left to bale and 30% of the pea crop to harvest in Ireland.
In a presentation to an Oireachtas committee on the future of the tillage sector in Ireland this evening, Professor Boyle outlined the current difficulties faced by the tillage sector.
In particular, the poor weather conditions in 2016 and 2017 have made harvesting difficult for tillage farmers.
However, farmers across Ireland will be concerned as many rely on the tillage sector for their supply of straw of winter bedding.
There is also a huge gap in average family farm income between tillage and other farm sectors, with tillage farmers depending on the single farm payment for 75% of their annual income.
This dependence on the single farm payment makes tillage farmers particularly vulnerable in the event of a hard Brexit, and the withdrawal of the UK’s financial contribution to the Common Agricultural Policy.
Read more
Top tips for staying afloat this harvest
Tillage farmers drop 50,000ac of cereals in two years
Straw stocks depleted
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: