Winter barley could average 3.5-4t per acre

The first half of the winter barley harvest has gone fairly well, according to Teagasc crops specialist Tim O’Donovan, with up to 50% of the expanded crop cut in early areas.

Early this week, he said crop potential was “good”, and predicted an average winter barley yield outcome of 3.5-4 tonnes per acre, given reasonable weather to harvest the rest of the crop.

This above average outcome would be a good start to the harvest, of which winter barley is about 70,000 hectares this year, or over one quarter of the national grain crop.