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Difficulties with planting winter crops could result in a shortage of native certified seed for spring planting.
Seed is still being returned to merchants and with some of the area already sown also at risk, the sown area is impossible to quantify.
The Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA) estimates that getting 65% of last year’s area planted to winter wheat and barley this year should produce adequate supplies. However, if final winter crop planting is lower, native seed supply is likely to be insufficient.
While there will be some additional seed available following big yields, it is not yet known how much of this was saved for seed or whether it will meet certification requirements. The main deficit is likely to be in spring wheat.
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