Tillage farmers will be breathing a sigh of relief with a fair weather outlook on the horizon.

Recent rains will have boosted growth rates in spring crops. But the real priority for grain growers right now is that of getting winter crops safely harvested and making this happen will require a spell of decent weather from now into July.

The yield potential of winter barley, wheat and oat crops grown in Ireland this year is immense.

But it all counts for nothing unless - and until - these same crops can be harvested in good conditions.

Some what say that unlike their livestock counterparts, tillage farmers are totally at the whim of the weather every day of the year.

Growing crops cannot be put into sheds when ground conditions become too challenging, which will always be an option for dairy and beef farmers.

Cattle will take no hurt at all if they are brought indoors to escape the vagaries of what can often be spells of intensely wet weather during the spring and summer months.

The polar opposite is the case for crops - once the seed is sown, it is a case of farmers working with the weather, whatever comes their way.

Periods of drought can be as perilous for grain growers as spells of very wet weather.

The impact of the recent dry spell on spring cereal crops is a case in point and like the seasons the politics associated with tillage farming continue to evolve.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has just completed a trade mission to Japan and the Republic of Korea.

He is set to meet with representatives from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to discuss the needs of the tillage sector.

This is a get-together that should help clear up many of the inconsistencies that have characterised the government’s approach to the crops’ sector over the past 18 months and more.

Prior to the 2024 general election, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil promised an additional €300 million of support funding for tillage during the lifetime of the current Dáil.

To date, nothing has been said or done by government to confirm the out-working of this commitment.

Meanwhile, the official response to the Food Vision Tillage Group report, published almost 18 months ago, has been muted to say the least.

It is a wait and see process as to whether there will be positive, tillage-related commitments from Minister Heydon in the short-term.