Dairygold has announced that it will pay a minimum contract price of €285/t for the 2023 protein bean crop.
The agri-business said that the price it announced today (Wednesday, February 15) demonstrates its “ongoing commitment to its tillage farmers and encourages production of this valuable crop for the year ahead”.
Liam O’Flaherty, Dairygold’s general manager, said: “Beans have grown into an important ingredient in many of Dairygold’s feeds, as they supply a rich source of valuable native protein and starch.
“Through offering a minimum contract price we are seeking to support and encourage growers and give them clarity around the potential returns from growing beans.
“This allows our growers greater certainty when deciding on cropping plans for the coming season,” O’Flaherty added.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will be supporting the crop with a protein payment of up to €700/ha depending on the area planted.
Liam Leahy, Dairygold’s tillage and beef manager, said: “It is important to understand that this crop, with its low input requirements, guaranteed minimum harvest price, plus the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine protein support, is a very safe crop to support and should be embraced at farm level for all that it offers.”
According to Dairygold nutritionist Colman Purcell, Dairygold is using all of its purchased beans as a direct replacement to imported protein.
“This both improves our carbon footprint while at the same time offering us the opportunity to include a quality home-produced product into our feed,” Purcell said.
“We now market a range of feeds that are fully manufactured from Irish grown feed ingredients…which are finding strong support with livestock feeders as they look for quality and consistence performance,” the Dairygold nutritionist added.
Dairygold malting barley competition
Last month, the Deasy family from Aherla in Co. Cork were named the overall winners in this year’s Dairygold malting barley competition.
They were presented with their award during the Dairygold tillage conference which was held at the Corrin Event Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork.
The farmers were crowned as the mid-Cork regional winners in the annual competition a number of weeks before.
The three-generation family forage crops alongside a significant area of cereals all in the rotational way that sees them achieve high yields and quality on a regular basis.