Wheat imports are likely to rise

Wheat imports are likely to rise this year after a below-average harvest because of bad weather, authorities said yesterday.

Jim O’Mahony, of the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, said: “The harvest was disappointing, due mainly to poor sowing areas because of last autumn’s weather.”

The wheat area had been reduced to 92,000 hectares from 103,000 last year, he said, with estimated yields back to nine tonnes per hectare from 10.5.