The recent Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) meeting had a well balanced top table.

Clive Carter, IGGG’s secretary, outlined the group's recent activity and gave a reaction to the Oireachtas report on the future of the tillage sector.

Beet Ireland chairman Michael Hoey, at times referring to his adviser Chris Harmon, gave a strong response to that report’s scepticism around the prospects for the revitalisation of sugar beet processing.

Pat Deering, that committee’s chair, followed.

He gave a typically frank appraisal of the critical state of the sector, describing it as being “at a crossroads”. He pledges his personal support to Beet Ireland’s efforts.

Autosteer

Darragh Cleary then followed, with a fascinating window into the progressive tillage operation he and father Pat are running at Larch Hill, near Monasterevin, Co Kildare. Having committed to min-till a decade ago, the Cleary’s practice precision farming.

Autosteer accurate to 2cm allows the creation of semi-permanent tramlines. Automated section control leads to efficient utilisation of fertiliser and chemical.

The most significant innovation is their use of green waste (grass and timber cuttings) as a soil nutrient.

Boortmalt contract

Then followed an update on the Boortmalt contract from Colm Fingleton, IGGG founder member who served on the Boortmalt negotiating committee. They were highly critical of the current deal.

“Farmers have been represented at best poorly,” said Fingleton.

“We have been outflanked, outmanoeuvred and outwitted by the industry. We want €200/t as a minimum price for the coming season."

Chairman Bobby Miller, in summarising the night’s proceedings, gave an indication of the ambition of the IGGG.

“We want to be the tillage farmers group who work with you to bring sugar beet processing back to Ireland,” he said to Michael Hoey.

Future

IFA have had an arms-length relationship with Beet Ireland, so that may well happen.

Tillage farmers can benefit from having the IGGG as another voice representing their interests, provided the focus is on positive progress rather than negative criticism of what currently is in place. We saw that 20 years ago with the rise of the ICSA when cattle farming was on its knees. Wednesday night was an important step in the right direction.

New IFA grain chair Mark Browne will have to be on his mettle to retain the loyalty of tillage farmers, and that is as it should be.

If the two organisations mark the merchants, malsters, brewers and millers, rather than each other, progress is achievable.

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