The 2023 grain harvest is underway, with cereal farmers capitalising on the dry and windy conditions last weekend to combine six-row and hybrid winter barley varieties.
While it is early days, grain yields and moisture contents are initially positive. Reports on yields range from 3.2t to 3.8t/acre, with moisture contents running from 14% to just over 17%, eliminating or reducing drying costs for most crops.
An additional bonus is that straw yields are exceptionally good within hybrid crops. Some of this straw has since been baled up, before the onset of rain early this week.
As of yet, there is little sign of where green barley prices will settle for the 2023 harvest, as there is still a significant volume of 2022 grain coming on to the market.
Straw
Straw changing hands is limited, but all signs point to higher prices this harvest compared with last year. Good-quality barley straw may be in short supply as spring crops are forecast to produce lower yields following drought conditions in late May and June.
But a bigger factor will be the Straw Incorporation Scheme in the Republic of Ireland, with 70,000ha of straw set to be chopped during the 2023 harvest, a 34% increase on last year.
While the scheme extends across all cereals and oilseed rape, the increased chopping area is expected to remove 1.25 million round bales of straw from the market.
Read more
70,000ha of straw to be chopped in scheme
In pictures: 750ac Golden Vale estate with mansion hits the market
The 2023 grain harvest is underway, with cereal farmers capitalising on the dry and windy conditions last weekend to combine six-row and hybrid winter barley varieties.
While it is early days, grain yields and moisture contents are initially positive. Reports on yields range from 3.2t to 3.8t/acre, with moisture contents running from 14% to just over 17%, eliminating or reducing drying costs for most crops.
An additional bonus is that straw yields are exceptionally good within hybrid crops. Some of this straw has since been baled up, before the onset of rain early this week.
As of yet, there is little sign of where green barley prices will settle for the 2023 harvest, as there is still a significant volume of 2022 grain coming on to the market.
Straw
Straw changing hands is limited, but all signs point to higher prices this harvest compared with last year. Good-quality barley straw may be in short supply as spring crops are forecast to produce lower yields following drought conditions in late May and June.
But a bigger factor will be the Straw Incorporation Scheme in the Republic of Ireland, with 70,000ha of straw set to be chopped during the 2023 harvest, a 34% increase on last year.
While the scheme extends across all cereals and oilseed rape, the increased chopping area is expected to remove 1.25 million round bales of straw from the market.
Read more
70,000ha of straw to be chopped in scheme
In pictures: 750ac Golden Vale estate with mansion hits the market
SHARING OPTIONS