'Native cereals are an elite product' - tillage specialist
The current push to find export markets for some home-produced cereals makes no sense, according to Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan, who highlighted the superior quality of Irish grains and oilseeds.
He said: “We are a grain-deficient country. So the rationale of exporting home produced oats, for example, just doesn’t stack up.
“All the cereals we grow in this country are of the highest quality. What’s more, they can be included in all compound feed rations in a very effective manner.
“Suggestions that imported grains are superior to those produced here at home just don’t stack up.
"Native cereals are an elite product. And every opportunity must be taken to highlight this point.”
Meanwhile, field work continues apace on tillage farms across Ireland.
Phelan said: “Ground conditions remain excellent and we have the prospect of yet more good weather coming our way over the coming days.
“Growers continue to push ahead with the drilling of winter rye. This will take us through to the beginning of October.
"At that stage the focus will change to the planting of first wheats on land that follows a break crop.
“The order of drilling, thereafter, will kick off with winter barley followed by winter oats.”
The Teagasc representative is indicating that most winter oilseed rape crops planted in August are growing-on well.
“Many rape crops will need both general herbicide and graminicide applications over the coming days," Phelan said.
“There is evidence of volunteer barley and other cereal plants coming through within quite a number of rape crops at the present time.
“Slugs have not been an issue over recent weeks. Moreover, we are at a stage now when rape crops will have grown to a stage when slugs should not impact on overall growth rates.”
Where the weather is concerned, Met Éireann is forecasting a reasonably dry week ahead.
High pressure is likely to dominate over the coming leading to generally settled conditions. There’s a chance though that low pressure may come close to Ireland at times, especially later in the week, bringing the possibility of some rain.
However, rainfall amounts though for the week will be lower than average. Temperatures will come in a little above normal generally, though closer to average in southern areas.
It all adds up to an excellent opportunity for tillage farmers to get winter crops established in almost perfect conditions.
