By Dionne Meehan
WITH unfavourable weather conditions massively affecting grain farmers in Donegal, many are set to experience a loss this year.
In recent months, we have witnessed some ‘record breaking’ weather conditions.
From the warmest June on record to the wettest July, issues began slipping through the cracks as far back as October 2022.
With a lot of rain since then, it was a difficult sowing season for winter crops which resulted in a backlog this spring.
Hugh Kelly, a farmer from Porthall, grows a variety of crops including winter oats, wheat and spring barley.
In March, Hugh was concerned about planting being late this year, almost predicting what was yet to come.
By not getting his crops sown until the end of April, he was already running one month behind on previous years.
As time progressed and Hugh’s shoots began to rise, unfortunately so did the temperature resulting in many seedlings dying off.
“What you are left with is just the one shoot, resulting in the spring barley crops being thin,” he said.
With winter barley typically being harvested in July, Hugh said he got his cut by the skin of his teeth.
“My winter barley was cut about a fortnight ago, but I can see other farmer’s winter barley still laying in fields.
“That is going to be hard to save which is going to make things scarce for the winter time,” he said.
Although many farmers have their grain harvested off their winter barley, the straw still lies in the fields unable to dry out due to the wet conditions.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, a farmer from outside St. Johnston is one of many farmers in this situation.
Although Stephen got his winter barley cut and bailed, the straw from his oats still lies in the field.
Stephen usually bails his straw and uses it to bed calves and other livestock, however this year, he fears of losing his crop.
“The crop is already behind and there isn’t as much in it as what we usually would have.
“To save it, we are going to have to turn it when we think the weather’s good enough.
“Whenever you do turn it, trying to lift it out of the ground is going to result in less straw again and it mightn’t even be worth bailing.
“The crops are way behind on last year’s, there is no bulk in it and that’s down to the bad weather,” he said.
Now in the month of August, Hugh is preparing to harvest his Spring crop at the end of the month.
At the minute, the only thing Hugh is hoping for is a good Autumn.
“It has just been a bad year.
“I remember in 1985 it was a bad harvest just like this.
“There will be losses this year,” he said.
Winter crops already harvested are back by half a tonne to the acre because of the bad weather.
On top of being down in size, the prices are down too.
“It is kind of the perfect storm.
“Everything is happening at the same time.
“I just hope the land doesn’t get too wet.
“If the land is very wet then it will not carry the combines to cut it.
“It is just one of those years,” Hugh said.
Hugh is now hoping for the price of straw to go up to compensate for the losses.
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