Harvest to salvage for many growers

Profit margin analysis at last week’s Teagasc Crops Forum 2016 indicated that growers on owned land needed a 9.8 tonnes per hectare crop of barley to break even this year, an 8.8t crop of oats, 3.4t of oil seed rape, or a 9.9t crop of wheat.

And losses could mount now, because later sown and later maturing crops, particularly on heavier soils, have started to break down after torrential rain and heavy winds.

Ground conditions are becoming problematic in some areas, added IFA national grain committee chairman Liam Dunne this week, as the harvest turned into a salvage operation for many growers.