Grain, fertiliser prices expected to impact 2026 tillage incomes
Irish tillage incomes are expected by industry specialists to come under yet further pressure in 2026.
This will be due to a combination of factors, including poor grain prices and a strengthening of international fertiliser markets.
Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan, told Agriland: “We already know that fertiliser prices will increase next year. And there are also price issues associated with the oats, spring beans and malting barley as growers look towards 2026.”
He added that tillage farmers are now in a "lull period" between the end of harvest 2025 and gearing up for the 2025/2026 planting season.
“It’s important that they use the time now available to plan strategically for the future," Phelan said.
“The focus must be on growing crops that will help secure sustainable incomes during the period ahead.”
Phelan noted that representatives of the Irish Farmers’ Association and other stakeholder bodies are due to meet Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, over the coming days to highlight the challenges facing the tillage sector at the present time.
The Teagasc representative said: “It is important that government is made fully aware of the economic pressure that is coming on tillage right now and into the future.
“It is also important that those other businesses that operate within the crops’ sector, including contracting and farm merchants, are fully aware of the pressure on tillage incomes and respond appropriately.”
Meanwhile, recent rains have provided much needed moisture for newly planted oilseed rape crops.
Phelan said: “The planting of rape will continue for the next few days. But the majority of crops are in the ground at this stage.
“The first of this year’s winter barley crops will be drilled at the end of September or the first week of October.
“Farmers growing varieties with barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) tolerance might be tempted to go slightly earlier than this.”
Significantly, Teagasc has been researching the degree of BYDV tolerance that new cereal varieties can offer.
“The third year of trials is about to get underway,” Shay Phelan explained.
“Final results from this work will be available later in 2026.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently published the list of recommended winter barley varieties for the 2025/2026 growing season.
Four of them come with a claim of tolerance where BYDV is concerned. This constitutes half the varieties featured within the list.
