Over the past week, numerous farmers have reported severe damage to their crops to the Irish Farmers Journal.

In some cases, farmers have as much as 100ac of cereals still to cut, while others had maize knocked in last week’s storm. Spring beans and oilseed rape are still to be cut on many farms as well, while the potato harvest is delayed.

However, the cereal crops are worst affected. Many are now unsalvageable, lying flat on the ground and growing again as well as being completely broken down.

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Some crops are battered into the ground, giving the appearance of stubbles in some cases.

Deputy chair of the IFA grain committee John Murphy told the Irish Farmers Journal that there are about 3,000ac of cereals to be harvested in his own county of Wexford. Murphy suggested that the Department of Agriculture should pay farmers with un-harvestable cereal crops for leaving those crops in-situ over the winter providing feed for birds.

The payment would be similar to the wild bird cover payment under ACRES. Farmers can be paid €1,000/ha for this under ACRES.

Maize crops were hit last week by storm Agnes. One young farmer in the southeast explained that 95% of his maize was down in some fields and it was just 10 days away from harvest. Plants were leaning over, hit in the middle of the plant and some were also knocked from the base.

Winter planting

This week has brought drier weather and while some will try to harvest crops, many more are eager to plant winter cereal crops. Soil moisture deficits are 1-2mm off field capacity on well-drained soils at present, according to Met Éireann. Very little planting has been carried out up to now. However, delayed sowing helps to control disease, virus and grass weeds, so if weather picks up in the coming days it is an ideal time to plant.