Farmers alarmed at collapse in grain price

The already sombre mood among Irish tillage farmers has been met with alarm as grain prices collapsed in Europe ahead of this year’s spring harvest.

Chair of the Irish Grain Growers Group, Bobby Miller, said that the way the feed grain market in Europe has dropped is “alarming”.

Following a bad 2023 and poor 2024 in terms of low-yielding winter crops, Miller said that for a lot of tillage farmers, it’s a matter of trying to survive into 2025.

“The grain price collapse in the last two to three weeks is really of deep concern for tillage farmers at this point – it’s no good for anyone. We’re just hoping that there will be an upswing before grain prices are set in September.

“The current on-account price being offered by co-ops is also very disappointing. Prices dropped from an already poor position. It’s time now for Government intervention,” he said.

While it’s too early to make a comment on the spring harvest yet, Miller said that what has been cut looks good.

“Quality seems to be good, moisture is getting to where it needs to be – under 20% – but there’s only a couple of days harvesting done yet,” he said.

IFA grain chair Kevin McEvoy said that said that Government intervention will be needed to support tillage farmers, irrespective of what price merchants and co-ops set for grain this September.

World grain markets started to recover this week with French wheat and corn on the rise after a major drop up to Monday of this week.

The December French dried wheat price fell to €205.25/t on Monday, the lowest since a price peak on 27 May when it was at €274/t.

However, on Wednesday it was at €211/t.

US maize prices remained down, while UK wheat prices didn’t see a pick up. Levels remain low, but reports of drought hit crops in the EU looked to be impacting markets following yield forecasts from the European Commission on Monday.

Agricultural economist with Teagasc, Dr Fiona Thorne, said that there were good prices available this season and farmers did not take the opportunity to sell.

“They should sit down and do their profit monitor, have an idea for target yields and costs of production. Forward pricing is more important now than ever,” she said.