Julian Hughes is a carrot grower in Co Kilkenny and he said: “The cool spring followed by the dull summer has negatively impacted on yield. This, coupled with the extra wet weather, has resulted in harvest costs 30% or 40% more than normal, making it a memorable year for all the wrong reasons.”

IFA field vegetable and protected crops chair Matt Foley has highlighted the challenging circumstances. “Exceptional levels of rainfall and mild weather have led to quantity and quality issues on all winter field vegetable crops,” Foley said.

He also added that “waterlogging and higher disease levels have resulted in crop losses running up to 30% across all lines”.

Ground disease

Carrot farmer Emmett Dunne has experienced this first-hand on his Co Laois farm. He has and is continuing to lose crops due to ground disease.

The carrots just turn to jelly

“I planted crops last June that were going to be in the ground for over a year and I’ve spent a lot of money trying to protect them. Now there is 30% or 40% of the crop being ruined by disease. It is crown rot and dry rot, so you can barely see it, but the carrots just turn to jelly,” said Emmett.

The effects of the adverse weather conditions spread throughout the farm. Emmett said: “labour has increased as every carrot has to be checked for risk of ground disease.”

Emmett is a carrot grower so unlike other vegetable growers, he has to harvest everyday, which is increasingly difficult as “there is just continual rain and the temperature is so warm”.

The impact of the current weather conditions will be felt for months to come. Emmett added that he planted his best crops in his best land ready to be harvested in June, but “because of the flooding, they are completely gone”.

Crisis point

“The crops I had planned to harvest the week of Christmas are a write-off. I couldn’t get into the field then and I still can’t,” said Emmett. “It’s impossible to dig where you want to dig because there is just so much water. I am literally not able to harvest the crop.”

Foley said vegetable growers are at crisis point due to the weather, but also the continuation of low farmgate prices paid by retailers, which are now “unsustainable”.

“Existing producer returns include no accommodation for natural yield reductions and leave no leeway for reinvestment in farm businesses.”

Foley called for an “immediate review on the farmgates prices being paid to producers, who are currently supplying at a loss”.

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