Oats: A crop with more value than the market realises
One of the biggest misconceptions in the livestock sector is that oats are inferior to barley or maize as a finishing feed.
Oats are one of the great success stories of Irish tillage. It delivers high nutritional value for both humans and livestock, it suits our climate perfectly, and it consistently produces reliable yields.
Yet this season, many tillage farmers are understandably asking why demand has dropped so sharply. Grain merchants are even considering exporting oats again — not due to a boom in international demand, but rather insufficient demand to use the oats already in the system.
Ireland has a long history with oats. In 1916, more than 294,000 hectares were grown, an indication of just how well suited our land and climate are to the crop.
Over the last five years, the combined winter and spring area of oats has averaged 27,820 ha, but in 2025, it has jumped to 33,600 ha, up 21%. This increase is partly responsible for the excess oats in the market.
The yield of oats has remained very consistent over the last few years, with much less variability that other break crop options. The five-year yield average for winter oats is 8.7t/ha, while its spring counterpart five-year yield average is 7.5t/ha.
Outside of its consistent yield, tillage farmers also recognise other qualities that oats bring to the rotation. Examples include:
- Excellent break crop — as good as oilseed rape or beans in rotation;
- Low nutrient requirement —lower pesticide inputs than wheat and barley;
- Low carbon footprint — carbon neutral when straw is chopped.
Demand in the human food sector has grown over the last decade due to well-publicised nutritional advantages:
- Naturally high in dietary fibre (beta-glucan) which lowers LDL ('bad') cholesterol;
- Helps regulate blood glucose for diabetic patients;
- Naturally whole-grain and gluten-free, increasing its appeal to health-conscious consumers.
These benefits, however, have not yet translated into stable demand for grain growers this season.
One of the biggest misconceptions in the livestock sector is that oats are inferior to barley or maize as a finishing feed. Teagasc research tells a very different story.
In controlled feeding trials at Grange, where rolled barley was directly swapped for rolled oats in concentrate mixes for finishing beef cattle on grass silage, there was no difference in animal performance.
