Forget farming politics, all tillage farmers want is to enjoy the bright day of harvest.
It takes a lot of time and effort to get crops to the stage where the combine starts working and the true rewards of a full year’s work can be fully appreciated.
Regarding the 2026 harvest, we have reached this stage in the case of winter barley crops.
This will be followed by winter oilseed rape, followed by winter wheat with rabi crops following their natural regime.
The weather forecast for the next few days is good. So, aside from the odd breakdown, farmers will be able to continue with their daily harvesting routine from dawn to dusk.
2025 Grain harvest in Co. Kilkenny
It all makes for an almost ideal scenario, especially when one remembers all those wet crops that Irish grain farmers endured that day.
But, at least in the short term, the 2026 harvest promises a sunny outlook.
More good news for farmers will come thanks to the lower moisture levels most crops should be getting from combines.
For farmers who typically store grain, the last thing they need is higher drying costs, especially as fuel prices continue to rise.
A straw
Hay is another abundant crop provided by all cereal crops.
So is Straw Incorporation Scale (SIM) really a big deal?
i don’t think so.
Incorporation rates of cereal straw into Irish dairy and beef rations continue to increase. Increased demand should lead to higher prices.
Dairy farmers in Northern Ireland alone could dispose of all the hay produced across the island of Ireland, if it was provided to them.
Heck, they’re even willing to bring stuff over from Spain: what’s all this about?
Farmers’ feelings
It’s easy to get distracted by the politics and economics of tillage farming.
Do tillage farmers need more support? Of course they do. Do farmers need better prices? Of course they do.
But without grain in the store, farmers have nothing to offer anyone: it’s that simple.
In all honesty, 2025/26 will not be a record year for Irish tillage.
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) affected several crops last fall, while the likes of spring barley began to emerge adequately a few weeks ago.
However, a hassle-free harvest would do a lot to boost the farmers’ state of mind and re-energize their batteries.
They will then be able to really buckle down and get involved in those issues that require strong government input: the 2027 budget, the new Common Agricultural Policy Agreement, and so on.
