Tillage Sector Faces Rising Costs Amid Static Grain Prices

The Teagasc National Crops Forum 2026 took place on September 10th at the Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge, Co Kildare. The event brought together farmers, researchers, and industry representatives to discuss the latest agronomic developments and examine how growers can maintain profitability amid rising production costs.

The forum heard from Ciaran Collins, Teagasc crops specialist and project leader of the Soil Cycle Project. This collaborative initiative aims to improve the use of livestock slurries in growing tillage crops, particularly winter cereals. The project seeks to increase nutrient use efficiency and provide growers with practical guidance on how best to utilise organic manures within cereal production systems.

Kilkenny farmer Andy O'Donnell highlighted the value of slurries to his farm and the confidence he is getting by participating in the project. He said, 'The project set-up is excellent, not only for participating farmers but also for neighbouring growers who can see first-hand how organic manures can be successfully incorporated into a tillage system.'

The forum also discussed the importance of variety choice, with Cara MacAodhain of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine presenting details of the recommended cereal variety lists for 2027. He highlighted the findings on yellow rust resistance in winter wheat varieties, stating that 'selecting varieties with poor yellow rust resistance leads to more challenging crop management and can ultimately result in yield losses.'

The financial challenges facing the tillage sector were also a key focus of the forum. Trevor Donnellan, Teagasc economist, outlined trends in farm profitability across the sector, highlighting that machinery costs have risen by 47% on tillage farms from 2020 to 2025.