The year 2019 is proving to be a challenging one for tillage farmers. A broken harvest, low grain prices, grain spec issues, the loss of key chemistry and an ongoing difficult planting season has made this year one to forget.
But for all its negatives, 2019 has seen some positive developments in the struggle for the recognition of the importance of native Irish grain production.
Ireland’s tillage farmers have long been producing grain which is of high quality, fully traceable and tightly regulated.
It supplies the raw material to the country’s dairy, livestock and food industries.
This year we saw the launch of rations from two of Ireland's key feed compounders containing 100% Irish ingredients.
But yet, over the years, Ireland’s indigenous grain supply has significantly decreased in importance in favour of cheaper imports from around the world.
I don’t have to remind our tillage readers of this fact, but for those who are not aware, these imports carry next to no traceability or production history and are often produced using technologies beyond the remit of Irish farmers.
This includes the use of chemistry which is withdrawn within the EU and varieties of crops that are GMOs.
However, as we enter this new era of climate conscious consumers who have become food-mile savvy and carbon responsive, it will take more than a slick advertising campaign with green undertones to stop them from challenging the origins of their food.
We live in a country with an average animal feed demand in excess of seven million tonnes (mt).
However this year’s cereal harvest amounted to just 2.1mt. Furthermore, our national cereal, oilseed and pulse area has decreased by 60,000ha since 2012.
Do we not think that the consumers of our beef and dairy products, and indeed our competitors, are capable of doing the basic sums?
Therein lies the problem, the Achilles heel of Ireland’s marketing strategy.
So I ask, has the penny dropped? Dropped might be an overstatement, but “falling” may be appropriate.
This year alone we saw the launch of rations from two of Ireland’s key feed compounders containing 100% Irish ingredients.
The moves aim to shore up support for Ireland’s tillage industry but crucially, paves the way for new products produced from 100% Irish ingredients which may be capable of commanding a premium.
We also recently saw positive developments at retail level with the launch of a new instant oats product containing 100% gluten-free oats.
Quinns ration
In September, the Irish Farmers Journal brought you a report that Quinns of Baltinglass had formulated two new coarse ration mixes for sale using 100% Irish cereals and pulses.
This was a bid to promote the use of Irish grown grain and pulses as much as possible, the company stated.
The new rations had overcome the risk of acidosis from feeding high levels of cereals in diets through the use of urea and enzyme treatment.
This issue had often been a key limiting factor for high inclusion rates of cereals in rations. 
Is there a growing appreciation for Irish grain with the industry?
The mixes include Irish rolled barley, Irish rolled wheat, Irish oat pellet, Irish rolled beans and molasses, all of which are grown by tillage farmers across the Leinster region.
The protein content of these mixes range from 13% to 15.5%.
Dairygold course and cubed ration
The Quinn announcement was quickly followed by the news that Dairygold had developed a cubed and course ration manufactured entirely from Irish-grown cereals and beans and processed at their mill in Mallow, Co Cork.
The company purchases 120,000t of Irish cereal and beans annually and was keen to stress its support for the tillage industry.
Irish grain is fully traceable and adheres to strict production criteria.
Both the CEO and the board are said to be very supportive of the idea and were keen to make a strong statement of support to the industry.
This is against the background of imported barley and wheat, along with many other byproducts, they stated.
The all-Irish rations have a protein content of 12.5% and include buffers to mitigate against acidosis.
Avonmore ready-to-eat porridge
Glanbia recently launched its new “ready-to-eat” porridge made from 100% Irish milk and gluten-free oats.
The move builds upon the success of the company’s dairy product portfolio and gluten-free oat line to create a new product for Irish consumers.
In early September, the company announced that it was seeking to double its gluten-free oat acreage, citing increased consumer demand for its products.
Glanbia Ireland’s oats-only food-grade facility opened in Portlaoise, Co Laois, in 2014.
Maize imports had a considerable impact on the market in 2018 and 2019.
The company operates a closed-loop supply chain to ensure its oats contain less than 10 parts per million (ppm) of gluten and are certified gluten-free.
Until this point, the bulk of their gluten-free oats were sold as an ingredient to breakfast cereal/porridge producers or snack bar producers.
The crop attracts a premium of €40/t over green wheat price for growers, with all harvesting and transport carried out by Glanbia Ireland using dedicated machinery.
A positive move but is it enough?
These moves are a step in the right direction but much more can be done. Now that the initial mechanics are in place, it’s time to take it a step further.
In the case of Irish rations, the industry now has the opportunity to develop a closed-loop production line, from feed to animal to fork.
This is according to Irish Grain Growers chair Bobby Millar.
“Irish grain has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions profile of any agricultural enterprise, and it’s fully traceable. It’s our biggest marketing strength,” Bobby explains.
The industry now has the potential to develop an exclusive Irish brand which carries full traceability.
Such a brand, whether it be meat, milk or processed product, needs to be aimed at premium markets where the value of traceability and sustainability are realised and consumers are willing to pay for it.
“There’s a whole ocean of opportunity out there,” he remarks.
However, it only works if all actors in the supply chain can benefit from it, including the retailer, the processor and the primary producers, he says.
While this may seem idealistic to some, look at Glanbia’s gluten-free oats supply chain. A €40/t premium for the grower is nothing to be scoffed at.
Read more
Tillage management: planting continues but with variable success
Winter crops area pushing towards 50% of last season
The year 2019 is proving to be a challenging one for tillage farmers. A broken harvest, low grain prices, grain spec issues, the loss of key chemistry and an ongoing difficult planting season has made this year one to forget.
But for all its negatives, 2019 has seen some positive developments in the struggle for the recognition of the importance of native Irish grain production.
Ireland’s tillage farmers have long been producing grain which is of high quality, fully traceable and tightly regulated.
It supplies the raw material to the country’s dairy, livestock and food industries.
This year we saw the launch of rations from two of Ireland's key feed compounders containing 100% Irish ingredients.
But yet, over the years, Ireland’s indigenous grain supply has significantly decreased in importance in favour of cheaper imports from around the world.
I don’t have to remind our tillage readers of this fact, but for those who are not aware, these imports carry next to no traceability or production history and are often produced using technologies beyond the remit of Irish farmers.
This includes the use of chemistry which is withdrawn within the EU and varieties of crops that are GMOs.
However, as we enter this new era of climate conscious consumers who have become food-mile savvy and carbon responsive, it will take more than a slick advertising campaign with green undertones to stop them from challenging the origins of their food.
We live in a country with an average animal feed demand in excess of seven million tonnes (mt).
However this year’s cereal harvest amounted to just 2.1mt. Furthermore, our national cereal, oilseed and pulse area has decreased by 60,000ha since 2012.
Do we not think that the consumers of our beef and dairy products, and indeed our competitors, are capable of doing the basic sums?
Therein lies the problem, the Achilles heel of Ireland’s marketing strategy.
So I ask, has the penny dropped? Dropped might be an overstatement, but “falling” may be appropriate.
This year alone we saw the launch of rations from two of Ireland’s key feed compounders containing 100% Irish ingredients.
The moves aim to shore up support for Ireland’s tillage industry but crucially, paves the way for new products produced from 100% Irish ingredients which may be capable of commanding a premium.
We also recently saw positive developments at retail level with the launch of a new instant oats product containing 100% gluten-free oats.
Quinns ration
In September, the Irish Farmers Journal brought you a report that Quinns of Baltinglass had formulated two new coarse ration mixes for sale using 100% Irish cereals and pulses.
This was a bid to promote the use of Irish grown grain and pulses as much as possible, the company stated.
The new rations had overcome the risk of acidosis from feeding high levels of cereals in diets through the use of urea and enzyme treatment.
This issue had often been a key limiting factor for high inclusion rates of cereals in rations.
Is there a growing appreciation for Irish grain with the industry?
The mixes include Irish rolled barley, Irish rolled wheat, Irish oat pellet, Irish rolled beans and molasses, all of which are grown by tillage farmers across the Leinster region.
The protein content of these mixes range from 13% to 15.5%.
Dairygold course and cubed ration
The Quinn announcement was quickly followed by the news that Dairygold had developed a cubed and course ration manufactured entirely from Irish-grown cereals and beans and processed at their mill in Mallow, Co Cork.
The company purchases 120,000t of Irish cereal and beans annually and was keen to stress its support for the tillage industry.
Irish grain is fully traceable and adheres to strict production criteria.
Both the CEO and the board are said to be very supportive of the idea and were keen to make a strong statement of support to the industry.
This is against the background of imported barley and wheat, along with many other byproducts, they stated.
The all-Irish rations have a protein content of 12.5% and include buffers to mitigate against acidosis.
Avonmore ready-to-eat porridge
Glanbia recently launched its new “ready-to-eat” porridge made from 100% Irish milk and gluten-free oats.
The move builds upon the success of the company’s dairy product portfolio and gluten-free oat line to create a new product for Irish consumers.
In early September, the company announced that it was seeking to double its gluten-free oat acreage, citing increased consumer demand for its products.
Glanbia Ireland’s oats-only food-grade facility opened in Portlaoise, Co Laois, in 2014.
Maize imports had a considerable impact on the market in 2018 and 2019.
The company operates a closed-loop supply chain to ensure its oats contain less than 10 parts per million (ppm) of gluten and are certified gluten-free.
Until this point, the bulk of their gluten-free oats were sold as an ingredient to breakfast cereal/porridge producers or snack bar producers.
The crop attracts a premium of €40/t over green wheat price for growers, with all harvesting and transport carried out by Glanbia Ireland using dedicated machinery.
A positive move but is it enough?
These moves are a step in the right direction but much more can be done. Now that the initial mechanics are in place, it’s time to take it a step further.
In the case of Irish rations, the industry now has the opportunity to develop a closed-loop production line, from feed to animal to fork.
This is according to Irish Grain Growers chair Bobby Millar.
“Irish grain has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions profile of any agricultural enterprise, and it’s fully traceable. It’s our biggest marketing strength,” Bobby explains.
The industry now has the potential to develop an exclusive Irish brand which carries full traceability.
Such a brand, whether it be meat, milk or processed product, needs to be aimed at premium markets where the value of traceability and sustainability are realised and consumers are willing to pay for it.
“There’s a whole ocean of opportunity out there,” he remarks.
However, it only works if all actors in the supply chain can benefit from it, including the retailer, the processor and the primary producers, he says.
While this may seem idealistic to some, look at Glanbia’s gluten-free oats supply chain. A €40/t premium for the grower is nothing to be scoffed at.
Read more
Tillage management: planting continues but with variable success
Winter crops area pushing towards 50% of last season
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