Barley satisfactory, oats crop is variable

With the winter barley harvest nearly complete, quality overall has been excellent, but yields are marginally back on last season, according to the IFA grain farmer committee’s report early this week.

Reports from the early cuts of the winter oats crop were said to be “variable”, with east coast crops on lighter, drier soils, reportedly yielding 0.2-0.3 tonnes per acre less than last year, but crops on heavier soils yielding marginally better than last season. Bushels were variable, but mostly 50-56kph off the combine.

Irish dried new crop grain prices were trending lower early this week, pressured by increased supplies of French wheat rejected for milling.