Harvesting is under way in parts of Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny, with winter barley crops cut in the past three days.

Conna grower Dermot O’Leary started cutting in a 100ac field on Thursday 6 July, which he said was “the earliest I’ve ever cut in more than 50 years of cutting corn”.

By Saturday, he had the majority of his 100ac field harvested and was happy with how it performed.

Dermot O'Leary

“It’s a mixture of a six-row and a two-row variety,” O’Leary told the Irish Farmers Journal. “It’s doing well so far, very well for a very early crop.”

“It’s doing four tonnes plus to the acre; we won’t know for sure exactly how much what it’s doing over the 4t/ac until this evening,” he said. “It’s bushelling 68 and the average moisture is 20%, with parts of is from 18% up to 23%.”

All of his corn is dried at home and sold out of the store, with 90% of the grain sold to Southern Milling.

Tipperary

Earlier this week, Cork farmer John Crowley started harvesting 80ac of six-row winter barley.

The Mallow man cut 80ac on Wednesday and was happy with the quality.

In Tipperary, Tom Slattery cut barley in Ballylooby.

Some growers in south Kilkenny have also begun harvesting.

Many more are expected to embark on harvest 2017 during the coming week.

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