The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has praised tillage farmers for producing crops through a difficult weather.

It comes after Tirlán and Centenary Thurles co-ops announced that they will pay between €205/t and €210/t for green feed barley and up to €220/t for green feed wheat.

IFA grain chair Kieran McEvoy said the recent announcements are as good as could be expected given global grain markets.

“Despite the relatively dry weather for harvest and satisfactory yields for spring cereal crops, 2024 will be remembered as a very challenging year for the tillage sector,” he said.

“The unfortunate reality is that these prices may still not cover the costs of production on rented land. Teagasc has forecast that average tillage farm incomes in 2024 are likely to remain very similar to 2023, which was a complete and utter disaster for the sector.”

Premiums

Native cereal and protein crops have produced good-quality grain this harvest, despite earlier concerns about very delayed planting dates, according to the IFA.

McEvoy said livestock farmers and other end users should give preferential treatment to Irish native grain when procuring and assembling feed rations for the winter months ahead.

He added that some growers will be helped by the premium prices offered on some crops.

“Price premiums paid by co-operatives and merchants for food crops such as malting barley, gluten-free oats and contracted winter barley will help to mitigate the situation for some tillage farmers."