“The area of Irish grain production is down 17% from 2012, and


without targeted measures and a strategic plan, this decline will continue,” Browne said. “The sector contributes over €650m of farm gate value to the rural economy. It is of critical strategic importance to Ireland’s €13bn livestock, dairy, food, drinks and mushroom export sectors. “Irish tillage farmers were disproportionately affected by the last


CAP, and any further reduction in supports or increased regulation without compensation under the new CAP 2020 will decimate the sector.”


CROPS 2030 A major report on the strategic plan for the Irish Crops sector has been launched by Minister of State Martin Heydon, T.D. The report assesses the current state of the sector and provides


54 tangible recommendations. These collectively highlight how tillage farming in Ireland can make a significant contribution to meeting national greenhouse gas reduction targets, supporting the authenticity and sustainability credentials of Irish exports and exploits the provenance of our native grains to market a suite of Irish-produced food and drink products. “I welcome this report, as the tillage sector is a critical component


of the Irish agri-food industry,” Minister Heydon said. “It is an important source of livestock feed, straw and increasingly providing native raw material for the brewing, distilling and high-value food product markets. Its sustainability is crucial to Irish agriculture.” “This report brings together the opportunities and challenges that


tillage farmers will have to face over the coming years,” said Donal Fitzgerald of Goldcrop, the Chairperson of the Teagasc stakeholder group, which also comprises of industry experts and farmers alike. “It also highlights specific areas where, if developed, will help to improve the environmental, financial and social sustainability of the entire tillage sector. Like many other farming sectors, we recognise that unless we can make ‘working the land’ attractive and suitably rewarding to young farmers, then the future supply of locally sourced, environmentally-safe, low-carbon-footprint food will be in jeopardy. That is how serious this situation is.” The report identifies areas where native cereals can be further


developed to help substitute imported ingredients currently used in the food, drinks and animal feed sectors. There are substantial opportunities to increase native grain uses in cereal-based foods and oats products. There are also opportunities in cold-pressed oils and potato products, which can contribute to healthier diets and help tackle obesity. The drinks industry is increasing exports year-on-year, and there is further potential to increase grain supply to this industry to offset imports and, hence, support the legitimacy of labelled products. The level of animal feed imports into Ireland has increased


dramatically from two million tonnes in 2008 to over four million tonnes in 2018, with much of the additional demand driven by the expansion of the dairy sector. Ireland imports animal feed ingredients from over 60 countries, many of which have production systems associated with high


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GHG emissions and negative impacts on biodiversity. Substitution of many of these imported ingredients represents a significant opportunity for the Irish crops sector, with potential to produce both energy and protein crops for the feed market. “Courtesy of the Crops 2030 report, the Stakeholder Group hope


to make a major contribution to the development of the Irish agriculture industry over the next decade,” according to John Spink, Head of Crops, Environment and Land Use Programme in Teagasc. “The work and effort by the group to get broad industry acceptance are commendable. We are lucky to have such a group of individuals who give their time freely to support the sector and have the insight to compile such a report.”


In my opinion … Richard Halleron THE RAIN JUST KEEPS ON FALLING What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Ireland was basking in temperatures of 25°C and enjoying wall-to-wall sunshine. In contrast, the first days of September saw quite a number of Irish farmers greeted by ‘ground frost’ as they started their day’s work. But, it is the unremitting rain of recent weeks that has really changed the fortunes of the farming year that is 2020. At this stage, ground conditions in many parts of the Irish countryside


are verging on atrocious. It is a scenario that will have very costly implications for farmers. Those with grain to cut are now looking at the prospect of a snatch and grab harvest. This will bring with it the inevitable reduction in cereal yields, plus the accompanying impact on grain and straw quality. The recent terrible weather has equally impacted grassland


farmers. Many still have second or third cut silage to make, while grazing conditions have deteriorated in many parts of the country. Yes, the grass is there. But utilising it is a different story altogether. These are more scenarios that add further to the costs of farming. No profession is as predisposed to the vagaries of the Irish weather


as farming. And it is a story that the general public does not seem to get. Getting a crop of wheat, barley or oats to the stage that it can be harvested is a very expensive business. And it is genuinely heartbreaking when all the farmer can do is look on as the weather undoes all this hard work. Monsoon-like weather at harvest time is not exactly a ‘new’


phenomenon for farmers to be coping with. We have all been here before. But it still represents a real kick in the solar plexus for producers, given the multitude of challenges they are coping with every day of the year. Former Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) President Ian Marshall went


on the record comparing August 2020 with the truly atrocious summer that was 1985. I am not sure that we have reached such a low point just yet. However, if September turns out to be another wet month, then comparisons with that awful summer of 35 years ago could become extremely valid indeed. So, is it time to be talking about some form of weather aid package?


That is a question for our politicians to grapple with. In the meantime, we could all do with a few decent harvest days.


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