Maize lodging has become a major problem around the country after storm Ophelia. Kill, Co Waterford, was one of many locations with crops ready for harvesting flattened by high winds on Monday.

Local tillage farmer Pat Kirwan said he expected 50% to 60% loss. As he and contractors moved into a field nearby, neighbour Ned Morrissey was more optimistic.

“We’re getting 85% to 90% of it, but it will take a lot longer,” he said.

The 25ac field was half harvested when the storm hit and the 21t/ac to 22t/ac yield achieved last week will now drop. In addition, the harvester can now work only in the direction the wind broke the plants.

“It keeps jamming and the driver has to reverse it constantly. That’s why the clutch is now giving a lot of trouble,” Ned said.

While the roller bar of a combine harvester is well able to lift lodged wheat or barley, there is no similar device on a silage harvester. Wind storms normally happen in the winter, after the end of the maize harvest.

Ned is now racing to bring in this crop and plant winter cereals before the next storm later this week – with implications for other farmers around him: he is contract-growing this crop for a local dairy farmer, on land rented from another.

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