Approximately 4,500ac of crops, mainly spring barley and oats and some beans, are estimated to remain uncut this year. The majority of these crops have sprouted, are growing again, rotting and are covered in disease or fusarium. They are also sitting on saturated land.
Farmers in the south and southeast of the country are particularly badly affected, where rainfall levels have been higher. South Cork farmer Ray Quinn tallied that 645mm of rain fell in his area in August, September and October. He has approximately 80ac of oats and barley lying on the ground. Fellow Cork farmers Darren and Stephen Buckley have 70ac of barley to cut and no oilseed rape or winter wheat planted.
Heavy rain has stopped winter cereal planting for most and oilseed rape plantings are also back. This means the spring cereal area is likely to remain high in 2024, creating pressure points at planting and harvest.
The IFA met with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue last week and asked his Department to “provide targeted financial support to tillage farmers most in need”.
Grain committee chair Kieran McEvoy said the “only way” that the €8m funding announced for the tillage sector in Budget 2024 can make a difference, “is to target it towards tillage farmers who have lost most or all of their crops in this very difficult year”.
These losses are estimated at over €2,200/ha in some cases. Costs will also be incurred to remove or incorporate the unharvested crops, still on the ground.
