A change of attitude is needed if the tillage sector is to have a bright future, according to the Irish Grain Growers Association.

The Grain Growers believe that the tillage sector has been neglected by successive Governments and its agencies, while also being hammered by years of low prices as well as being let down by lobbying organisations.

Despite the sector being at a low ebb at the moment, if the right supports are put in places a bright future can be attained, the Grain Growers said.

The association outlined a number of areas the Government must focus on in order for the sector to prosper in its tillage proposal for 2017.

Promotion of High Quality Irish Feed Grain

It proposes that Irish-grown feed grain needs to be promoted as the highest quality, carbon positive, fully traceable, GM-free feed in order to obtain a premium over imported feed.

The Grain Growers believe this has the potential to benefit all agricultural sectors in Ireland in terms of higher value domestic and export markets.

A pricing proposal was also included in the associations tillage proposal for 2017,
  • Minimum base price of €155/t for feed barley at 20% moisture.
  • Minimum base price of €170/t for feed wheat at 20% moisture.
  • Barley straw at €12 per round bale off the field (€65/tonne baled at 15% moisture) at harvest time in the south east.
  • Growers to get paid a scaled bonus for protein levels in the grain. Base protein level to be set at 9%, while every 1% in protein above the base level would equate to a €5/t bonus.

The association also believes Irish tillage land should be utilised to grow premium value crops such as food grade oats, oilseed rape, peas, beans, milling wheat and sugar beet.

Pharmaceutical crops like linseed, quinoa and hempseed, should be promoted as such by the relevant Irish bodies, it said.

Research and Development

The Grain Growers has urged the Government to invest in research funding for the tillage sector.

It is hoped with this funding, centres of excellence and food hubs can be promoted in order to allow farmers invest in projects that add value to their produce.

Feasibility and research studies should also be carried out on the best route options that tillage farmers can take to add value to their produce, the association believes.

Cost of Inputs

Controlling and reducing input costs are also crucial to the sustainability of the sector, according to the Grain Growers.

“Achieving economies of scale through models such as group purchasing, farm partnerships, machinery rings, collaborative ventures is vital to this.”

The sector needs to develop these models in conjunction with Teagasc and other relevant agencies like Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia so that they can be replicated across the country for the associations’s members.

“Fertiliser and seed are both areas that need to be focused on in order to reduce input costs, as outlined in the tillage proposal for 2017

“The cost of chemical control of weeds and disease continues to escalate while resistance increases, while cheaper generic options need to be looked at,” it said.

Meanwhile, with talks for the new CAP proposals advancing at present in Europe, the Grain Growers are currently preparing its proposals on the CAP review.

Government Support

Under the tillage proposal, the Grain Growers outlined the need for improved commitment and support from the Government and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in order to improve the prospects of the sector.

This support should include commitment to capital funding for the tillage sector for ‘on farm ‘ and group funding, for schemes that provide mitigation measures on climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the association.

The Grain Growers also believe it is important to support and encourage increased production from existing Irish products such as malting barley, milling wheat, oilseed rape.

It also hopes that crops such as sugar beet and specialist vegetables will be reintroduced, while an expansion of funding for protein crops such as peas, beans and lupins is also needed.