The past few weeks were among the busiest and most intense for those in the tillage sector.

Spring planting has been ongoing for weeks already and it will continue for a few more while winter crops receive various inputs to help nurse them to high yield potential.

Unlike last year when planting was late and winter crops were in poor condition, the sector seems to be in considerably better position this year.

Last year, Prof Michael Wallace’s report on the tillage sector valued it for the first time at €13bn. While this is not nearly as big as some livestock sectors, it is a very important component of rural life and local economies and it is highly cross-linked with most other agricultural enterprises.

Tillage farming is the backbone of our drinks industry, it provides a range of animal feeds, it is a low emissions land use and its significance within the agricultural system is at last being recognised.

This year we are delighted to be promoting the Arable April initiative in association with the Irish Grain Growers group.

This will provide those in the tillage sector with an opportunity to showcase the very many different activities that will take place throughout this busy month. We are also delighted that Seedtech has come on board to help reward some of those lucky participants.

In our reader survey last year, many of you indicated a wish to have a single crop fully documented throughout the growing season.

The tillage team has taken that request on board and, starting this week, the initiative will bring you weekly details of growth stage and inputs for a crop of spring barley.

New challenges continue as grass weeds expand their footprints and show increasing resistance

This week we also bring you yet another edition of our annual Crop Protection magazine. This provides an update on the increasing challenges being faced by the sector. It reports on the continuing loss of actives that are important to protect crops and slow down resistance development. New challenges continue as grass weeds expand their footprints and show increasing resistance, while wheat growers will welcome another new active in the fight against fungicide resistance in septoria.

This shrinking toolbox is happening against an objective to significantly reduce pesticide use (50%) in crop production.

This will be a massive challenge for a country whose climate magnifies the need for plant protection. Growers on this island might like to be able to share this objective but it will require a combination of more potent new pesticides, improved targeting of their use and the availability of more robust genetic resistance.

Access to gene editing is currently prevented in the EU because the technology remains under the control of GMO legislation. Many scientific and regulatory bodies see this as a nonsense and this has led to a review of mutagenesis technologies in plant breeding, which is due to be presented to the European Commission later this month. The proposals contained in that report will equally shape the future of European agriculture.

The potential of gene editing is not confined to crops and it has equal potential to significantly alter the requirements for a range of animal medicines if used in animal breeding.

Its place in the medical world was elevated considerably in recent months when this technology played a very significant role in the development of most of the COVID-19 vaccines.

This is a very powerful scientific advancement and EU agriculture should not be deprived of its potential.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes for the tillage sector in the past two years is how it is now perceived

We carry an opinion piece on gene editing which provides a solid understanding of the importance and potential of the technology and its current legislative status. It is important that all farmers are aware of what this technology can do as it may form part of many future technology advances.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes for the tillage sector in the past two years is how it is now perceived.

Having been totally disregarded as a land use for many years, it seems to have moved to a situation where Government sees it as having a significant part to play in the solutions for agriculture’s climate and environmental challenges.

Farmers need time to make big decisions

Farmers should not be forced into fast and complete decisions that potentially could be very detrimental to their business.

In the last two weeks, we have seen Glanbia and Kerry milk suppliers drip fed reports and information that have serious implications for doing business in the coming years.

While both entities have farmer involvement from the outside looking in, it looks remarkably like farmers were the last to know what was happening.

In both cases, milk suppliers in the region have nothing yet in writing about how potential deals or changes to agreements will affect their business.

Respect and loyalty

In any business dealing where there is reasonable respect and loyalty, the least farmers would expect is that there is time given to discuss, share information, compare and contrast before any hard and fast rules come into play.

It is up to farmer representatives elected in Kerry and Glanbia to be strong in the face of any looming decisions that have a long-term impact and serious commercial implications for milk suppliers.

Eleventh hour changes and proposals are no way to treat farm families that have invested millions inside the farm gate.

This week’s cartoon

Explanation needed on price differential

There is no doubt the significant divergence of beef prices from our UK counterparts leaves huge room for improvement in base beef price quotes in the Republic.

However, as discussed at length on the second part of our Virtual Tullamore Farm Series on Tuesday night, the move away by our meat processing sector and our State-led research agency from suckler bulls, the most efficient converters of protein to meat into a steer beef system, almost strangles any hope for profit from our suckler sector.

The bottom line is we see a €300 differential on R grade cattle now between the Irish price and the UK for steers

Over 50% of our exports go to the EU where bulls are perfectly acceptable yet our factories always argue steers are a unique selling point for Ireland.

The bottom line is we see a €300 differential on R grade cattle now between the Irish price and the UK for steers. Farmers deserve an explanation.

Industry needs support not red tape

Nobody can argue with a valid objection to a proposed development if it’s part of the planning process and specific to the development.

However, the random and widespread generalised objections seen in the dairy industry of late from specific entities that have a clear anti-farming and anti-livestock agenda that bears no relationship with the specific proposed development cannot be accepted by farmers and rural Ireland. Log jams with the intention of stifling growth and development should be tackled head on by Government.

Indigenous sustainable industries need support, not red tape and bureaucracy.

Sector must build on strong prices

The world has changed for the better for sheepmeat prices and sheep farmers over the last 12 months.

Supply and demand changes are key. European production is down. New Zealand imports are much lower. British production is remaining on the home market.

Prices are now exceeding €8/kg with up to €8.20/kg for spring lamb.

Challenge

The real challenge for the sheep sector now is to maintain that performance across the year and establish sheep as a real alternative for drystock farming whether that’s lowland or in the hills.