Farmers are being advised to book straw as early as possible this year, the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) has been told.
Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan said that provisional indications are that the overall cereal area is down by 7,800ha this year, due to the poor planting season and pressure from grassland.
He estimated that overall grain yields could be down by 100,000-150,000t this year, but he added that it is very early in the season to make any firm predictions.
The committee heard that tillage farmers are not that optimistic about winter barley harvests this year, particularly in the midlands, due to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). Yields from winter wheat crops will also very variable.
On a more positive note, Phelan said that spring crops are, in general, better than this time last year, albeit they are a bit later.
Although this will probably not make up the difference of the losses from winter crops in terms of total tonnage produced, he said it “might help to bridge the gap a little bit”.
Straw
The Teagasc tillage specialist said that straw supply has been the “most hotly spoken about topic over the past 12 months”.
Some €10 million in funding will be made available to participants in the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) this year, compared to €12.5 million in 2023.
Phelan said that this will mean that less crops will be going into the scheme this year.
The NFFSC was told that some farmers are taking land out of the SIM in favour of baling the straw to sell it instead.
Based on this, Phelan said that there will probably be more straw available this year, compared to 2023.
However, he warned that a later spring planting season may lead to a later harvesting season which could impact the ability to bale the straw. He also said that there is no excess straw left from 2023.
“If I was to advise farmers and their advisors now, I would be telling them to book as much straw as they possibly can and maybe even put down a deposit on some of that straw to guarantee supply.
“I think that’s what happened a lot of people last year, they waited until harvest was over before they went looking for straw,” he said.
Crops
Phelan also told yesterday’s (Monday, July 8) meeting of the NFFSC that fodder crops have increased by 4,300ha.
The majority of this (4,000ha) is made up of maize with concerns about some of those crops currently due to the impact of weather.
The area of native proteins, such peas, beans and lupins, have also increased by 2,700ha.
Phelan concluded by saying “the whole season is up in the air at the moment” and that the coming six weeks “will tell a lot about what’s going to happen”.