As the National Fodder and Food Security Committee met in Moorepark on Tuesday morning 22 March, the cabinet was due to discuss a proposal from the Department of Agriculture announced earlier that morning to supply €12m to increase the area planted to tillage crops in this country.

In one of the first comments made at the committee meeting, an attendee stated their surprise at the announcement before the committee met. The committee had not discussed the proposal at all before it was announced.

Department of Agriculture official Michael Moloney emphasised that the package was still under examination and there was much to be decided.

Package

It was not clear if the package would be for more than one year or if the crop had to be harvested and if it could be harvested for whole-crop silage.

However, he did note that he expects a proportion of the budget to place a minimum level on the protein aid scheme payment at €300/ha no matter the area planted. At present, the €3m budget is divided by the hectares planted and the payment fluctuates.

Tillage farmers already growing crops are not in the mindset to push crops at current record high fertiliser prices and fuel costs

Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) grain committee chair Kieran McEvoy noted that tillage farmers already growing crops are not in the mindset to push crops at current record high fertiliser prices and fuel costs.

He noted that his committee was willing to work with the Department on the finer details of the scheme and was keen to state that a long-term policy was needed to increase tillage area.

Time 'running out'

He added that if the 25,000ha proposed was planted, it only equates to approximately 75,000t to 80,000t of grain. He added that time was running out to confirm if the crop diversification requirement would be enforced this season.

McEvoy was strong on the need to keep the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) in place. He noted there is plenty of straw in sheds and that the scheme has helped to maintain the tillage area and should be left alone.

He shared many points with Irish Grain Growers Group chair Bobby Miller, who reiterated the need to keep the SIM intact and to turn more attention to food-grade crops.

Miller stated more needs to be done in the long term for the tillage sector and that there isn’t much in the proposed scheme for tillage farmers who do not have grassland on their farm.

There was no clarification on whether or not farmers planting wild bird cover under the Green Low-carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) would be able to plant a tillage crop in its place.

Costs of spring barley

Teagasc’s Stan Lawlor outlined adjustments made to costs and returns carried out in January on a spring barley crop.

He noted that Teagasc increased machinery costs by €50/ha and fertiliser costs by €300/t. He also placed the price of feed grain at €260/t, up from the €200/t figure used in January.

Based on a yield of 7.5t/ha, income from grain would increase by €450/ha. After €203/ha was taken out for fertiliser cost increases and €50/ha was taken out for machinery cost increases, that leaves €197/ha.

However, he added there are concerns around fertiliser and fuel supplies and costs. Weather, nutrient and disease management will also play a huge part in meeting the target yield.

Fertiliser and fuel supplies

Liam Dunphy, representing the Irish Fertiliser Manufacturers and Blenders Association, stated that fertiliser stocks are sufficient at present, but noted that fertiliser needs to be distributed evenly across farms and that retailers need to ensure that stockpiling is not carried out on some farms while some farmers have no fertiliser in stock.

He added that stock may become easier to source in the summer, as Europe’s fertiliser needs for crops would be largely met.

Pat McCormack of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association called for a fertiliser subsidy for all farmers.

Michael Moroney of the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland reiterated the need to secure fuel supplies for the season ahead.