Cereal future ‘at crossroads’
Grain Committee chairman Paddy Harrington made the claim when he called on the trade to pay last year’s price of €101-€104/ tonne for green barley at 20% moisture exclusive of VAT. He said attempts by the trade to force down cereal prices below the cost of production will do irreparable damage.
“It will leave farmers with no option but to restructure payments onto a reduced area and, if the price outlook for cereals remains negative, many growers will not plant a crop for 2005,” he said.
