After the success of last year’s campaign, AgriLand and the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) are bringing back Arable April and this year it is going to be bigger and better.

The initiative began last year as the IGGG wanted to promote the good work going on in the Irish tillage sector.

So if you’re out ploughing, sowing or crop walking and you see a photo opportunity, why not take a minute to capture the image.

Maybe you’re having a tea break or re-filling the seed drill. Let us know what you’re doing and tell the story of tillage to all the people who are staying safe at home.

What’s happening on farms?

We want to know what’s happening on tillage farms across the country and what’s happening in the industry. The #ArableApril photo competition will run throughout the month with loads of prizes up for grabs.

AgriLand is encouraging the tillage industry to tell its story throughout the month of April by tagging #ArableApril on social media posts and pictures.

30 facts about tillage

AgriLand will also be adding a tillage fact to its social media sites each day throughout the month and we will be checking in with members of the industry across the country including farmers and agronomists to get a clearer picture of what’s going on in the field.

Reports from farms

Each week we will check in – via phone conversation – with a tillage farmer from the IGGG to find out what’s happening on their farm and how work is progressing.

The IGGG is supporting the #ArableApril initiative on AgriLand and will be updating its social media channels regularly.

We will of course be supplying our usual tillage content which will keep readers up to date.

Photo competition

If you want to get involved share your pictures on social media using the hashtag #ArableApril and by tagging @AgriLandIreland and @GrowersGrain.

Make sure to tag @AgrilandIreland so we can see your picture and in order to show as many people what’s happening tag #ArableApril.

You can also email your pictures to: [email protected].

It’s also great to give some background to the image you send in. So maybe what variety of barley you’re sowing or what the end use of the crop is.

The overall winner of the photo competition will receive a host of AgriLand merchandise as well as an IGGG beanie hat, polar shirt and jacket, while there will also be four runner-up prizes of an AgriLand jacket and an IGGG polar shirt and beanie hat.

So if you’re sowing, spreading fertiliser, picking stones or walking crops we want to see your pictures.

The overall winner of last year’s photo competition was Luke Thornton from Co. Kildare. His winning picture can be seen at the top of the article.

Follow the Government and HSE guidelines

Of course, Government and Health Service Executive (HSE) guidelines in regard to Covid-19 must always be followed.

Photos should only be taken by machinery operators, who are taking a break, or farmers and agronomists who spot a suitable shot in the course of their own work (whilst on their own). For information from the HSE on Covid-19 click here

Safety when snapping

As well as following the government and HSE guidelines, farm safety should always be on people’s minds so pictures must be taken in a safe manner.

Some top tips for taking photos

AgriLand has some top tips for taking pictures on your phone. If you turn the phone on its side and take the picture on landscape it will look better on our site or app.

Also if you tap the main subject of the picture on your phone before you take the photo it might improve your picture. For example, if you are taking a picture of a tractor tap the tractor on your phone and then capture the image.