Over the last week or so, we have had two inspections. The first was for my gluten-free oats where a thorough check was carried out to ensure there was no contamination from any barley or wheat plants from previous crops and that wild brome has been controlled.

I regard the gluten-free oats concept as a textbook way forward for the Irish tillage sector to go in getting close to consumers with the ability to pay a premium for a high-quality product. So far, my customer is satisfied with the growth and cleanliness of the crop but we will give it a final check before harvest. Also out to inspect was the Department of Agriculture to have a look at my seed wheat. This went in after beans and is the crop with the highest yield potential on the place. There is zero tolerance for wild oats in the seed crops and also an insistence that brome must be removed but before that, the winter barley has to be cut. I reckon with it completely turned, that it is at most a fortnight off.

Well before the COVID-19 emergency, I had applied for a TAMS grant to renew my fertiliser spreader which had operated with no problems for 10 or 12 years. After getting clearance, we bought the specified spreader and after paying and taking delivery, I went through the backup documentation required with my Teagasc adviser and machinery supplier, got it all including a specific tax clearance certificate and sent it off. A lot of bureaucracy, but with public money I’d rather see a cautious approval process than carelessness. In any case, the full grant quickly appeared in my account.