Will 2026 Be One of Ireland's Great Summers?

A farmer reflects on past summers and wonders if 2026 will be one of the great ones. He notes that it's too early to make a call, but so far this year has been warm enough for long enough to make comparisons with the hot summers of the past.

The farmer recalls the super summer of 1984, when yields reached 4t/acre and grain prices were high, making it easy to justify land purchase prices. He also remembers the scorcher that was 1995, which was poignant for him as his father was terminally ill at the time.

The farmer warns that it's still too early to say whether this summer will be one of the great ones, and notes that grain prices are rising somewhat, but wheat yields were poor in 2018. He concludes by hoping for better results this year, especially during the Moynalty Steam Threshing on August 9.