At last week's Teagasc National Tillage Conference, we chatted with some of the young tillage farmers in attendance and asked them about the challenges they face, what they thought of the topics coming from the conference, crop conditions and the season ahead.

Stephen Carey, Co Wicklow

“At the moment, we’re trying to figure out what sort of malting contract we’re going to have for barley, we might have to revert back to feed barley. We’re weighing up whether we should look at spring beans either.

“The biggest challenge is definitely going to be grain price again. It looks like malting contracts could be tight and premiums are probably going to be bleak enough as well, but it all comes back to grain price.”

Steve Tracey, Co Carlow

“If the wet weather continues, it could affect early nitrogen applications and things like that, but hopefully it’ll pick up and we’ll get out working in the fields.

“The weather and what yields we get are going to be somewhat uncontrollable at times, but I think it’s mainly the output price that’s going to be the limiting factor.”

Patrick O’Toole, Co Wexford

“Winter crops went in in pretty good conditions. They’ve been hit hard with the weather lately, especially in Wexford around the Slaney area. They had a great establishment, hopefully they can push on now.

“We’re lucky enough at home that we own nearly all the land that we are farming, but there’s a lot of people out there who are renting.

“What you’re paying per acre and what you’re getting out of it, especially from a tillage perspective, is very tough and pile on to that rising costs for fertiliser and reduced chemistry options.”

George Leech, Co Wexford

“Almost everything is in winter crops this year, there’s a little bit to go in in the spring.

“All the springs are open and there is ponding in places. We’re lucky that most fields are away from rivers, but land is very wet and we won’t be going in anywhere for a while.

“We’re going to have to wait for it to dry out and make a plan from there.

“There’s talk of rye today, but it’s probably still a while off for a premium market for crops like that.”