Buyers forced to rely more on securing Irish grain

FARMERS reported getting up to €155 per tonne for spring barley at 20% moisture (exclusive of VAT) last week, as unprecedented global grain market uncertainty forced the feed industry to buy locally for their strategic needs.

IFA said up to €164 was paid for green wheat.

Other than covering their priority grain needs, most buyers are waiting for futures markets to collapse, and for carrying costs of grain to fall to realistic levels, before committing to imports, which last year neared one million tonnes of wheat, barley, sorghum, oats and maize.