What was this year like for your grain growers?

Here in the midlands, the difficult weather conditions did affect harvesting and baling in particular. Grain moistures were above normal. Weather only allowed us to harvest a couple of days per week. Straw was left on the ground for prolonged periods of time. Soil compaction is a particular worry for farmers, with a quick turnaround to sowing time.

Were quality and yields back this year in crops?

The lack of good weather in May/June did affect grain fill and quality is poorer than might have been expected in a normal year. Farmers reported crops in our area yielded in the region of between 3t and 3.3t for winter barley, 3t and 3.2t for winter wheat and 2.5t to 2.8t for spring barley.

What have sales of winter crop seeds been like this year?

We are going back in with very similar acreage of winter crops. Our initial belief was that acreage would be reduced. However, the good weather provided an air of optimism, and sales are tracking usual trends. Last year was an above-average year for winter crops because of the high yields experienced in 2015 and the good weather in the back end.

What is the mood among dairy customers?

There is an air of optimism that the milk price may have stabilised and should increase for next year. However, dairy farmers are reducing farm inputs such as fertiliser and feed. They are more focused on reseeding, grass management and herd health, which is greatly helping them achieve the efficiencies required to sustain profitability.

A lot of your customers are beef cattle farmers. What is their mood?

Beef farmers are cautious. Uncertainty surrounding Brexit is leaving future planning difficult. Cattle going to the factories do require correct feeding as the penalties for poor carcase classification are great. Farmers are looking for a cost-effective feed on which cattle will perform. Beef farmers are adopting better on farm management skills, as their dairy counterparts have, in order to maximise performance from their stock.

Has the drop in beef prices dampened buying activity from beef finishers for meal?

More cattle were possibly finished off grass, with some feed, which may traditionally have gone to the shed for finishing. Beef farmers are paying more attention to the cost/kg of store cattle instead of always buying a type irrespective of cost.

With greater consolidation in the agri-food sector, what’s the advantage of a family run business?

The Flynn family are active farmers involved in both the tillage and beef sectors, and they understand the challenges farmers face on a daily basis. From a feed manufacturing point of view, flexibility is a great advantage. As a smaller mill, we work with our customers to formulate diets best suited to their individual needs.