Anger Among Grain Growers at Lack of Merchant Support for Sector

IFA Grain Committee Chairman Mark Browne said there is growing anger among grain farmers towards merchants paying grain prices below the market for this year’s harvest.

“It is unacceptable for any grain buyers to be paying below €150/t for green barley this harvest,” he said.

“The impact of a difficult winter, followed by drought conditions in late spring, and subsequent difficult harvest, had a severe effect on the viability of many grain producers,” he said.

Many buyers in the trade have showed solidarity with growers by paying prices which put a value and emphasis on quality assured Irish grain.

“While the prices will not cover production costs for the farmers who suffered considerable yield losses this season, they go some way towards acknowledging the difficult tillage season,” Mark Browne said.

IFA had called on all grain buyers to show a similar commitment to the sustainability of their Irish grain suppliers by returning similar prices, at a minimum.

The IFA Grain Chairman said it’s unacceptable that certain buyers were unsupportive of the sector and this could not be tolerated by IFA.