The area sown to winter wheat has fallen by 30pc on last year. However, early reports indicate that winter barley sowings are 20pc up on 2008 levels. Experts say the disparity in sowings between 2008 and this year could be down to a substitution effect, as farmers switch from wheat to barley and from spring [...]
ICSA Munster vice president Edmond Phelan has said today that there are benefits to both the tillage and drystock farmer to buying grain this year off the combine. The poor prices on offer for grain farmers combined with falling incomes on drystock farms means that the two sectors should cooperate to cut out the [...]
This year's harvest is rapidly turning into a nightmare for growers. Disastrous prices and terrible weather would be bad enough, but reports that some of the main players in the trade will only take grain from their own customers have made matters a hell of a lot worse. There are probably enough independent merchants to [...]
Grain growers are facing losses of more than €90m this harvest and many may be forced out of production, farmers' groups have claimed. With many farmers already carrying significant debt from last year's disastrous harvest, the IFA has warned of a total meltdown in the sector should green grain prices drop below €100/t, as is [...]
IFA National Grain Committee Chairman, Colum McDonnell said that Greencore Malt has dealt a body blow to malting barley growers three weeks before harvest commences with its announcement that it is to cut contracts and close grain intakes. Mr.McDonnell said, “These last minute announcements by the company shows a total disregard for loyal farmer customers [...]
Average farm income dropped by 13.7% in 2008 as input costs rose by the same figure. It is feared they will drop another 10% this year. Teagasc National Farm Survey head Liam Connolly said 'incomes could drop by over 10% again this year, that more farmers would have to reappraise their involvement in the business [...]
Cereal growers have been warned about sowing too little spring barley seed this season.
Tillage expert Jim O'Mahony has advised that seeding rates should be kept at moderate to high levels amid concerns about germination.
Mr O'Mahony recommends that growers stick close to rates of up to 10 stone/ac for spring barley. Normally, the farming advisory service [...]
Fertilizer prices are continuing to fall because of the constant flow of imports,Urea prices are experiencing a downward trend to €335/tonne, Tillage and grassland farmers will be buying the bulk of their fertilizer in the coming weeks 18-6-12 for example has a wide variation of prices been quoted with €460 been one of the lowest.27-2.5-5 [...]
Fertiliser margins demanded by the trade this season are not sustainable and it is clear that a cartel is operating to maintain artificially high prices.
Fertiliser is the second biggest expenditure on most livestock farms after feed, and in the case of tillage farms it accounts for over 33% of production costs. Irish farmers are being [...]
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which is established in permafrost condition inside a mountain on a remote Norwegian island, is designed to store duplicates of seeds from seed collections around the globe. It will help to ensure that the genetic diversity of the world's food crops is preserved for future generations and is an important [...]
