GRAIN growers say co-ops are bad for them.

GLANBIA announced last night it had no other option but to issue protective notices to its 27 production employees at two grain mills in Laois and Wexford.

DAIRYGOLD Co-op has been urged by Munster IFA vice president Seán O’Leary to urgently review its grain price.

IRISH grain growers have welcomed relief from a ban on winter ploughing.

THE ploughing date for spring crops has been brought forward by more than six weeks by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith following talks with Environment Minister John Gormley.

OVER €1 million in limited additional funding is being provided for the Early Retirement Scheme in farming.

A HARVEST price of €120 per tonne for malting barley was announced yesterday by Greencore Malt, but the Irish Farmers Association described it as opportunistic and below the cost of production.

HEAVY weekend rain has added to the difficulties of grain farmers trying to save their crops in what is proving to be one of the most difficult harvests in years.

GRAIN growers have claimed they offer by far the best value high energy livestock feed, at €95 to €100 (exclusive of VAT) for barley, and wheat €5 to €10 dearer.

GROWERS have been advised by the Irish Farmers’ Association to consider all their options before dumping grain in the merchants’ yards this harvest.

AS fine weather boosted harvest work in many parts of the country yesterday, the Irish Farmers Association warned that the future of grain production is in doubt for many growers.

MALTING barley growers protested outside the Greencore Malt plant in Athy, Co Kildare, yesterday over issues including the 2009 crop price and a proposed cut in contracts.

GREENCORE Malt insisted yesterday that it remains committed to a viable and sustainable malt production industry in Ireland.

THE EU compound feed industry predicts a 10% slump in dairy feed production, as under-pressure dairy farmers try to make ends meet.

DRUMMONDS, one of the country’s oldest seed companies, yesterday announced the closure of its six branches with the loss of 44 jobs.

GLANBIA’S price offer to growers this week threatens the future of tillage farming in Ireland according to the IFA.

THE first logs made in Ireland from miscanthus, a renewable fuel crop grown by farmers, have gone on the retail market in Limerick.

AS heavy rain lashed the country yesterday, it was revealed that less than two-thirds of the harvest has been gathered and that crops worth €150 million will be at risk if the weather does not improve.

More than €150m worth of crops could be ruined by dismal weather over the summer, it was revealed today.

AS LITTLE as 30% of the €400 million crops harvest has been completed to date, the Irish Farmers’ Association has estimated.

THE continuing wet weather is posing a serious threat to the €400 million grain harvest.

GRAIN growers have requested a meeting with Guinness and Greencore to discuss prices, after the IFA rejected Greencore Malt’s offer of €165 per tonne for malting barley.

THE country’s cereal growers warned yesterday that their margins this year will fall by up to €240 an acre.

THE annual war of words between grain producers and processors has commenced with the Irish Farmers’ Association warning farmers “not to be conned”.

IFA grain committee chairman Colum McDonnell has said crop development around the country has been slow due to the unusually cold and wet weather in recent weeks, and despite early predictions for a bumper harvest of 2.4m tonnes, that is now unlikely.

FARMERS have been urged by IFA Grain Committee chairman Colum McDonnell to shop around before purchasing inputs.

SOME auctioneers were accused by the Irish Farmers Association yesterday of hyping con-acre prices on the back of one-off higher grain prices.

IT is time the co-ops started working for their members and began paying the true market value of grain, the Irish Farmers Association has warned.

THE IFA has urged grain growers to retain owner-ship of their crop where buyers have not offered a satisfactory green price.

FINE weather for the weekend will keep grain growers busy harvesting valuable grain crops which may be worth over €200 per tonne.

MALTING barley could be in short supply for the brewing industry this year due to the impact of the weather conditions.

EXPORT demand for malting barley has taken prices to €255 per tonne for shipment from the east coast, according to IFA National Grain Committee chairman, Colum McDonnell.

WEATHER conditions are likely to reduce this year’s harvest yield by 10% to 15%, the Irish Farmers Association forecast yesterday.

FARMERS have been urged to tie down a price before committing or delivering their grain this harvest.

CONTRACT prices for this year’s grain reached new highs in Europe recently as concerns grew over crop prospects due to unusually warm and dry spring weather.

THE Irish Farmers’ Association will stage a protest outside the Greencore Malt plant in Athy, Co Kildare, today over the price being paid to growers for malting barley.

MALSTERS, brewers and distillers were warned yesterday that they will no longer be guaranteed a secure supply of malting barley unless they pay growers a fair price.