The Dalton’s intake for Boortmalt at Athy remains closed on Monday 15 August.

The intake closed on Thursday 11 August at 8pm. Boortmalt notified suppliers just a few hours before and stated that the intake would remain closed for three days and reopen on Monday.

However, suppliers received another text message on Sunday to say that the intake would remain closed on Monday.

Many other grain intakes have also closed, but not for as long a period.

Grain intakes often close for a number of hours or, in some cases, for a day to clear yards and allow grain to be drawn away during the peak of the harvest season.

The closure is affecting farmers who have run out of storage and now have malting barley sitting on their farms for four days or more.

Energy charge

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that the €12.50/t energy charge was agreed with Boortmalt and will be applied to any barley for which the price was not fixed during the season.

However, the charge was introduced as farmers cut and delivered barley and farmers were not aware of this charge as they planted seed.

Last week, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that this was the equivalent of a €250/t penalty on a 20t trailer of grain.

The majority of grain is also being delivered at low moistures, so farmers will not see the reward for this in their moisture bonuses as the energy charge is in place.

Some farmers are also struggling to fill distilling and brewing requirements. Boortmalt often divides up distilling and brewing requirements in-house, but this year, this has been put back on farmers.

The Boortmalt intake still remains closed on Wednesday 17 August as an issue with a drier has not yet been resolved.