It is difficult to translate the low carbon footprint of Irish grain into a monetary return for farmers, according to Donal Moloney, Tirlán grain manager.

“We’re doing our best at the moment to do try and get something through with the oats, because a lot of our oats are going to international markets and trying to use the benefit of the low carbon footprint to attract a premium,” he said, referencing Tirlán’s oat drinks.

However, he said it’s much more difficult to give a premium for feed grains, where ultimately they are a fairly small component of the output, whether it be milk or beef.

“It’s harder to show the benefit of the low-carbon footprint in the final product. We intend to do a lot more work on it. It’s a work in progress and there’s work to be done.”

Barry Larkin of Acorn Independent Merchants said rewarding grain growers for top-quality grain with a low carbon footprint is not an easy nut to crack.

“We quantify grass-based produce, cheese or milk or meat, by a certain percentage of [animals] being outdoors every year. What about including native grains in the feed ration? And making it a requirement for the livestock farmer, to benefit the Bord Bia payment? People say that can’t happen that it’s a free market and it is a free market.

“But if you look at fertiliser, in 2026 the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) is coming into place, whereby fertiliser from outside of the EU will have a tariff attached to it in comparison to how sustainably it’s produced versus European manufactured fertiliser.

“If it’s that simple for fertiliser why can’t it be brought in for grain as well? Now granted, you’ll still have grain coming from France and Germany, but at least we know it’s coming from the same standards,” he said.