Tillage Farming

Growth of crops

Over 300,000 hectares of the best land in Ireland is engaged in tillage farming, or the annual production of crops for harvest. Cereal crops are the main output, led by barley, then wheat and then oats.

Harvest

Between 2000 and 2010, Ireland recorded the highest average wheat and second highest average barley yields in the world, according to John Spink, Head of Crops Science with Teagasc.

Barley

Barley is used in the production of feed for cattle and pigs. A proportion of the crop in Ireland is also specially grown as “malting barley” to be used to make beer and whiskey by the brewing industry. Pictured above are combine harvesters gathering the crop.

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Barley
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Barley

Barley is used in the production of feed for cattle and pigs. A proportion of the crop in Ireland is also specially grown as “malting barley” to be used to make beer and whiskey by the brewing industry. Pictured above are combine harvesters gathering the crop.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

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Barley

There are cereals grown in every county in Ireland, although the area in 2010 ranged from just 29 hectares in Sligo to 41,569 hectares in Wexford. This is mainly explained by differences in the suitability of the land and, to a lesser extent, more hours of sunshine in the south east.

The number of individual farmers growing cereal crops is highest in Cork, at 2,830, followed by Wexford at 2,395 and Tipperary at 1,240.

Oilseed rape

The distinctive bright yellow flowers of a crop of Oilseed rape, a member of the Brassica family. It is grown for its oil content and is increasingly popular in Ireland. There are two types grown in Ireland - Winter oilseed rape and Spring oilseed rape. Oilseed rape acts as a break crop in a tillage rotation in order to prevent the build up of cereal diseases. Winter oilseed rape planting almost doubled between 2010 and 2011; from 8,000ha to 15,000ha.

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Oilseed rape
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Oilseed rape

The distinctive bright yellow flowers of a crop of Oilseed rape, a member of the Brassica family. It is grown for its oil content and is increasingly popular in Ireland. There are two types grown in Ireland - Winter oilseed rape and Spring oilseed rape. Oilseed rape acts as a break crop in a tillage rotation in order to prevent the build up of cereal diseases. Winter oilseed rape planting almost doubled between 2010 and 2011; from 8,000ha to 15,000ha.

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Oilseed rape

Apart from the cereal crops, Irish farmers grow maize, beans, peas, oilseed rape, beet and potatoes. Potato growing in particular has become very intensive, with just 12,200 hectares grown. There are 540 growers who plant more than five hectares each and around 200 specialised growers account for 75% of production. The crop requires exceptionally good land and is now confined to parts of Meath, Louth, Dublin, Wexford, Donegal and Cork. Donegal has a noted tradition of growing potatoes for the seed trade, while Dublin and Meath growers supply the table market in Dublin, as well as the crisp making requirements of the Largo Foods plant at Ashbourne.

Maize

Irish farmers grew over 22,500 hectares of maize in 2010, the vast majority of which was for use as feed for livestock. It is harvested and ensiled in a silage pit where the crop, including the cob, ferments. The highly nutritious silage is mainly used by dairy farmers who milk cows through the winter, as it is an excellent feed for lactating cows. A high proportion of the Irish crop is sown under plastic, in order to ensure that it gets sufficient heat in the Spring time.

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Maize
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Maize

Irish farmers grew over 22,500 hectares of maize in 2010, the vast majority of which was for use as feed for livestock. It is harvested and ensiled in a silage pit where the crop, including the cob, ferments. The highly nutritious silage is mainly used by dairy farmers who milk cows through the winter, as it is an excellent feed for lactating cows. A high proportion of the Irish crop is sown under plastic, in order to ensure that it gets sufficient heat in the Spring time.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

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Maize

Sugar production

Sugar beet was a very popular crop in Ireland from the establishment of Comhlacht Siuicre Eireann (CSE), which was formed when the State took over the ailing Irish Sugar Manufacturing Company’s Carlow factory in 1933.

In 1933-1934, sugar beet processing factories were built in Mallow, Thurles and Tuam. The number of sugar beet growers quickly reached 27,000 by 1936 and peaked at 50,141 in 1943. The company was a huge force in rural Ireland, diversifying through Erin Foods into vegetables.

CSE was limited by a sugar quota after Ireland joined the European Union and the company was privatised as Greencore in 1990. As part of a European restructuring policy, Greencore availed of a fund to controversially close the last remaining sugar beet factory, Mallow, in 2006.

Moves are currently underway to investigate the viability of resuming sugar beet processing in Ireland.