Low cereal yield, but wheat and oats doing well

IRISH cereal production is forecast to be two million tonnes, 0.5 million tonnes lower than the record harvest of 2004, but stocks of grain carried over into this season will also be a factor on the market.

On the demand side, usage of cereals in feed is expected to be about the same as last year.

At 158,000 hectares, this year’s barley cropping is about 14% back on 2004, and spring barley yield prospects are rated as only moderate by Teagasc.