The discovery of blackgrass in plots of ground sown to wildflower mixes is a red-card issue for tillage farmers on this island.

Blackgrass is a highly invasive weed where a single plant can produce up to 6,000 seeds per annum. It is difficult to kill with chemicals and it has become resistant to most families of herbicides in England, where it has been a huge problem for decades. It has since spread across Britain and much of the blackgrass population there is now resistant to all herbicides.

The importation of these seeds from Britain via wildflowers, straw or machinery is a direct threat to the viability of crop production here.

While the drive to pollinator strips and biodiversity is good, they must be controlled. We now know that problems exist specifically in wildflowers and these need to be followed up by officials and industry alike.

Biosecurity threats like blackgrass need to be legislated for – they would not be tolerated in livestock. We now need to make sure that these seed sources are recalled and that seeds already planted are not contaminated with either blackgrass or any other species that represents a real threat to our farmers.

The matter needs legislation and a voluntary code of practice in the interim. But most of all it needs responsibility in the supply chain.

This week's cartoon

\ Jim Cogan

Battling Brexit and Covid

The 2021 AgriBusiness Report, produced in association with our partners KPMG, reflects on how Irish farmers, factories, shops and the hard-pressed hospitality sector dealt with the effective shutdown of society.

The empty shelves for a brief period last March was a timely reminder of how food is the most basic need for survival. Our sector responded with considerable success, which was also achieved against the backdrop of Brexit becoming a reality.

We can hope to move on from COVID-19 but moving on from Brexit is impossible. In truth, the worst effects of it lie ahead with introduction of border controls into Britain and as the UK advances trade deals with major exporters of agricultural produce.

The report tells the story dealing with these challenges through the experience of businesses and expert analysis and is provided free with this week’s paper and online.

Trade: markets performing well

While farmers may be facing into a volatile period in relation to agricultural policy, we have seldom seen a situation where all the major commodities markets have been preforming as strongly at the same time. It is largely being fuelled by the global supply and demand balances being in favour of producers. In some sectors, it is a reflection of strong global demand, particularly from Asia; in other sectors, it is being driven by production constraints at farm level.

In the case of global dairy and beef markets, both are factors. Strong demand is evident in both markets with environmental constraints limiting global dairy production. In the case of beef, rebuilding of herds following a sustained period of strong demand from China is seeing throughput decline in all the major exporting countries. As Phelim O’Neill reports, Argentina has moved to suspend beef exports for 30 days.

Meanwhile, although having eased slightly in recent days, strong demand continues to fuel global grain markets with forward price offers running at 15-25% ahead of last year.

Teagasc partnership: Signpost programme

The Irish Farmers Journal is delighted to partner in the Teagasc Signpost programme. We will be investing in carbon measuring technology on our suckler and sheep demonstration farm. Comments by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week recognising the need for the carbon storing ability of soils and hedgerows to be recognised is a positive development.