Harvesting of winter wheat and spring barley have begun and early reports on yields appear satisfactory. There are issues with skinning in malting barley but other than that, quality and yield reports are good with early proteins in the very acceptable range. Early quality appears good from the winter wheat also with specific weights up to 80kg per hectolitre (kph).

Winter barley harvesting is now complete in most of the country but there are real weather difficulties in getting this crop cut in the northwest where lodging and ground conditions are now compounding the challenge. Progress on oats has been good also but yields and quality were quite variable. Oilseed rape yields have also been disappointing for many.

Listen to Andy Doyle and Pat O'Toole's analysis in our podcast below:

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With the bulk of the winter barley now harvested, it is obvious that there were better yields and quality in much of the later-maturing crop. While there were some yields below 3t/ac, an amount of the later-maturing crop seems to have been in the 3.7t/ac to 4.5 t/ac bracket. These crops have also significantly helped average quality levels. Straw yields have been generally good and prices range from €10 to €14 for a 4x4 bale, depending on location.

Winter oat yields have ranged from under 3t/ac up to 4t/ac. Quality has been quite variable and location appears to be a significant factor. Specific weights have ranged from about 45 to 58kph and it seems that intakes will average 50, 53 or 56kph depending on location. Average yields range from 3t/ac to 3.7t/ac but some bigger yields had low specific weight and vice versa.

Winter rape yields are generally at 1.2t/ac to 1.7 t/ac

Early spring barley is yielding quite well at 3.2t/ac to 3.5t/ac (mainly malting).

Listen to Derry farmer Richard Kane's impressions of the harvest so far in our podcast below:

Quality is generally good with no problems reported with either screenings or specific weight (68-70kph).

The immediate concern for malting is skinned grains. The suggestion is that this may be a lack of ripeness issue but it seems to be much more of an issue in Wexford.

Skinning does not appear to be an issue in the Dairygold catchment.

Early winter wheat yields are generally quite good at 4t/ac to 4.5t/ac but there are a few much lower. Good yields are delivering good specific weights, which are in the 75-80kph range. Moisture levels have also been quite low but straw volume is suggested to be well down.

Watch 81-year-old Jimmy Reilly harvest winter barley with a 1975 New Holland combine on his farm in Navan, Co Meath in our video below.