The draft report from the Food Vision Tillage Group confirms the role of agricultural contractors in underpinning the future of the crops sector and urges the government to review the omission of some contractors from farm supports.
Key roles by contractors will be spreading slurries and other organic manures on to growing crops.
The winter months will also see contractors conveying slurry from livestock units to bespoke stores on tillage farms.
This is the model of operation that will ensure that the organic manures can be accessed by tillage operators at those times when they are specifically needed.
Challenges for tillage and contractors
But there are challenges to be overcome, if this is to happen.
The Food Vision Tillage Group report points out that many contractors, who do not have their own herd numbers, are not eligible for government-funded farm support schemes.
As a consequence they are deprived of the funding that would allow them invest in the new machinery systems and technologies required to drive the tillage sector forward.
The group will ask for this situation to be reviewed by the government and the issue was discussed in some detail at the recent Teagasc Crops Forum.
A show of hands called for at the event confirmed that almost all of the farmers in attendance used a contracting business at specific times of the year.
Labour availability within the contracting sector has also been highlighted as a limiting factor in terms of allowing farmers avail of a more comprehensive service.
Allied to this is the need for better training facilities, targeting the needs of contractors and specifically those young people wishing to develop careers within that sector.
No apprenticeships for tractor drivers or equipment operators was also recognised a major hurdle, limiting the future growth of the contracting sector.
Currently about 20% of the equipment available in modern tractors and associated equipment is not being utilised at all.
It is widely agreed within the membership of the Food Vision Tillage Group that better training and education programmes for contractors would allow this situation to be improved dramatically.
Better trained contractors will also help drive forward the ambition of achieving a lower carbon footprint across Irish agriculture as a whole, according to the stakeholders.
In essence, they feel that contractors can be the all-important conduit between the tillage and livestock sectors.
But making this happen will require significant investment by tillage farmers to ensure that new slurry and manure storage facilities are located where they are needed in order to ensure that best use can be made of organic manures, when it comes to growing crops.