Farmers Ditch Premium Grain Markets for Better Returns

At the recent Teagasc crops forum on September 10th, there was a clear message that premium markets for grain are no longer providing sufficient returns for farmers.

Teagasc's Shay Phelan questioned whether some markets can still be considered 'premium' due to the margin they offer. He noted that malting barley has about the same margin as winter barley, making it harder to justify growing these crops for premium markets.

Phelan also highlighted how break crops are now contributing more to farmers' margins than most cereal crops. This is particularly evident in winter wheat and winter barley, which have been disappointing some farmers in recent years.

Davy Keogh, a Wexford tillage farmer, echoed Phelan's concerns, stating that malting barley is comparable to beans for margin. He suggested that the rotation of break crops with other cereals like winter wheats and rye can leave a more profitable margin than growing malting barley.