Harvest is in as price and yield improves

Practically a full clearance in the harvesting of all corn crops has been achieved in Galway over recent weeks in what has been one of the better harvests for a number of years.

Corn yields have been described as very good despite the Summer drought, with an average return of between 2.8 and 3.5 tonnes per acre.

However, one of the drawbacks of the poor Summer growth, has been a dwarfed straw crop, with yields back on previous years, a factor that has worsened an already serious situation as regards straw shortages.

An estimated 10,000 acres of corn have been cut in Galway this harvest – in contrast to 2017 and 2016, there was hardly any ‘stop-start’ element to this year’s campaign due to the decent run of weather and good ground conditions through August and early September.

Barley prices are also at their strongest for a number of years hitting the €200/€205 per tonne (20% moisture) mark and likely to stay around there.

Galway IFA Grain Chairman, John Daly, told the Farming Tribune that by last week, he estimated that 95% of all crops had been harvested with the ground and weather conditions very good.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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