Tillage
Potato prices have remained stable over the harvest season. Prices dropped from a high in the middle of October, but have stabilised since.
Teagasc has just released it's Harvest Report for 2018. The report details average crop yields from the harvest just gone.
Reduced areas planted and yields have led to what look like tightened potato supplies this year - though it is too early to call for sure.
Teagasc estimates that cereal production in this country will be reduced by 690,000t in 2018, a 29% drop from 2017.
At the time of going to print, a good few pockets of spring barley were still to be harvested, and crops of winter wheat remained in places.
The recommended list trials in the UK have shown a drop in yields of winter wheat. The controls yielded 0.64t/ha below the five-year average.
Mark Hosford, of Southern Fuel and Farm Supplies, expects farmers to be cutting maize in east Cork in the last week in September.
The USDA released its monthly agricultural supply and demand estimates on August 10. World wheat supplies are estimated to be down.
Grain markets eased this week, most likely on the back of the USDA's world supply and demand report, which predicted an increased yields of some crops.
76% of spring barley crops yielded less than 2.5t/ac; that's according to a poll carried out on AgriLand from Tuesday to Thursday.
As the harvest hits its peak, AgriLand wants to know how farmers are getting on in the fields.
This season has brought a lot of challenges, but farmers are resourceful. The commodity is in such...
Wet weather delayed harvesting last week, but combines were rolling again by the weekend when the main spring barley harvest began.
Kevin Nolan is sowing grass crops for dairy farmers, planning drainage work on the farm and looking at selling grain now for 2019.
Farmers across Europe are witnessing an extremely tight harvest this year, with drought conditions crippling produce across the continent.
Boortmalt has adjusted the protein specifications for this year's harvest. Malting barley supplied to the company can now be as high as 12%.
Spring barley and winter wheat harvest started early last week in the south and midlands. First indications show below average yield, as expected.
AgriLand visited a field destined for Glanbia's gluten-free oats plant last week. Harvesting was in full swing just outside Tullow in Co. Carlow.
Grain price is continuing to rise and this is welcome as farmers produce lower-yielding crops than the average as a result of this year's extreme weather.
Winter crops looked well this season. The sunshine arrived in time for grain fill. However, prolonged drought and hot sun brought crops in quicker.
Grain price is positive at present. Farmers who delivered winter barley will most likely have to wait for the spring harvest for a final grain price.
Bales of straw are in such demand that some purchasers have been willing to pay 50% of the purchase cost before the crop is harvested.
Combines began to roll all over the country this week. AgriLand caught up with Brian Ireland cutting winter barley in Danesfort, Co. Kilkenny.
