Advice for beef farmers: Why don’t more buy grain off the combine?

Agricultural contractor Tommy Prendergast, Cashel, Co  Tipperary, started harvesting Belfry six row winter barley this week. The crop yielded 3.9 tons per acre at 18% moisture and  bushelled at 66. It was purchased by Dairygold Co-op, Outrath. Tommy is pictured with his son Gary and  grandson Sean Hayes. Picture: Tony O'Gorman

Combines started rolling last weekend in some parts of the country. Winter barley is obviously the first crop to be cutb and most of it will be fit to cut by the weekend.

Spring crops are still four or five weeks from cutting, but in general have improved significantly since the rain came after the mini drought.