The Irish Farmers Journal can reveal that Boortmalt has scrapped the controversial energy charge of €12.50/t to farmers which it introduced in the harvest this year.

However, it is understood that the moisture bonus, which had increased to €3/t, is now back to €2/t, a controversial change as other merchants across the country have increased their moisture payment/deduction to €3/t given the rise in energy charges at present.

The removal of the energy charge comes after the Irish Farmers Association’s (IFA) malting barley committee, which agreed to the charge, re-entered negotiations as farmers displayed anger at its introduction.

IFA grain chair Kieran McEvoy noted it’s a record price for malting barley in Ireland and a very positive outcome for growers.

However, he said inputs are also at record levels and tillage farmers will be concerned about their margins for next year.

Record low moisture contents

Grain deliveries made to grain intakes this season were at record low moisture contents, as the harvest took place amid extremely hot and dry weather.

As a result, many farmers suffered significant weight loss across the weighbridge.

Some farmers delivered grain at moisture contents below 11% this year.

When grain is delivered at 11% compared with 20%, a weight loss of approximately 0.11t is suffered.

At the Boortmalt harvest price of €398.38/t, this equates to a loss in income of €43.82/t.

The farmer will only be paid a moisture bonus on a five-point scale, resulting in a maximum moisture payment of €10/t (€2/point).

Harvest price

The Boortmalt harvest price finished at €398.38/t last week.

The price is based on the average of the French Free-On-Board (FOB) Creil Planet malting barley price at the close of business every Wednesday.