Drought to halve the yield of some tillage farms by up to 50%

TILLAGE farmers in some parts of Ireland are experiencing drought impacts that are at least as bad as their counter-parts in neighbouring European Union member states, according to industry analysts.

While some farmers in France and Germany are reporting output reductions in the region of 10%-20%, in Ireland, drier conditions so far this year are likely to reduce yield by up to half on some farms in the south-east and on the east coast. Parts of Munster and the midlands have fared better.

The Irish Farmer Association’s (IFA) potato analyst Matt Molloy said the south-east has been particularly badly hit this year. While farmers in the region are constantly watering their crops, they are still predicting that their yield will be down by half against last year.