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Many growers have completed their harvesting campaigns over the week and attention now turns to 2019 cropping programmes.
Average yields appear to have increased somewhat as the harvest progressed, with many growers achieving 3.0t/ac or more. However, many growers in particularly dry ground recorded yields of under 1.0t/ac.
Spring crop
The spring bean harvest has been completed over the past three weeks and yields are significantly back, with many growers recording a yield of below 1.0t/ac.
Spring oilseed rape area remains low, at around 1,600ha, but many crops have been desiccated over the past week and there have been few yield reports so far.
Much of the country’s 3,500ha of spring wheat crops were whole-cropped, but those which were harvested appear to have disappointed growers.
These crops missed the worst of the drought and looked very well throughout the season. Initial reports suggest averages of around 3.0t/ac.
There are a number of large areas of cereals still remaining to be cut, mostly in the midlands, west and northwest.
Broken weather in August has staggered harvest progress in these areas, but good progress was made over the past week, only to be halted by a showery weekend.
East-west and north-south contrast
While the west and northwest enjoyed a more favourable growing season, the tables soon turned during the harvest.
Much of the south, east and midlands enjoyed a near-perfect run of harvest weather from start to finish and many have recorded the earliest finish to a harvest in a generation.
Broken weather in August made harvest conditions difficult in key growing areas in the west and northwest.
Straw breakdown had been reported in spring oats and early barley crops and there was also reports of some sprouting and head losses in crops. However, these were largely variety-dependant.
Good progress has been made over the past seven days, with some growers now finished the harvest.
Spring barley yields in these areas have been good, ranging from 2.5t to 3.3t/ac, with averages closer to 2.9t/ac.
Quality has been excellent, with specific weights ranging from 65 to 72 KPH, with moistures ranging from 15% to 23%.
Reports of spring oats suggest average yields are around 2.7t/ac with moistures around 15% and specific weights of around 58KPH.
Straw
Straw demand remains high, with much of the country's bales now accounted for.
Lorries transporting straw to the west were noticeably down earlier in the harvest, but traffic has increased over the past month.
Spring barley and oat straw yields are back, ranging anywhere from four to eight 4x4 bales/acre.
Spring wheat crops have produced good crops of straw with averages running from eight to 10 bales/acre.
Spring straw is proving difficult to bale in places, as the broken weather has limited drying opportunities.
Prices for straw traded over the past week remain similar to the previous week, at between €27/4x4 bale for local regular customers to around €40/t in areas where straw is in very high demand. But the average trading prices still lies between €30 and €35 ex-field.
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