Tillage growers are looking for profitable replacement crops or alternative enterprises following the closure of the sugar factory in Mallow.

At the Teagasc National Tillage Crops Conference in Carlow today, Teagasc Tillage Specialist, Michael Hennessy said, that if all of the planned sugar beet acreage is now sown in spring cereal then this extra production of cereal crops will flood the market. To prevent this happening Teagasc has outlined a number of alternative options for growers with this acreage.

“Much of the land coming out of sugar beet should be planted to crops other than spring barley, such as maize, fodder beet, oilseed rape, peas/beans, oats and grass”, he said.

“One of the consequences of the demise of the sugar beet crop will be less fodder for livestock farmers in terms of surplus beet, grazed tops, dried pulp and super pressed pulp. Replacing this fodder will create an opportunity for farmers”, Michael Hennessy said.

The Teagasc Tillage conference was told that alternative feed materials will have to be sourced, either from home grown feeds or with imported products.

 “Farmers in surplus barley producing areas, such as Wexford, should diversify part of their area away from spring barley, to minimise the risk of the barley price reducing”, he said.   The total cereal production in the country, assuming a normal harvest, will be similar to other years at around 2.1 million tonnes. 

In relation to the Single Farm Payment, the conference was told that the SFP will continue to contribute a very significant part of the income of all tillage farmers. Many growers will be able to claim their sugar beet compensation on existing land areas and consolidation of entitlements will play an important role again this year.

Growers will continue to examine all aspects of their businesses to make extra money from tillage farming. Co-operation in areas such as machinery sharing and group purchases/sales will all play a role in helping smaller growers remain viable into the future.

Teagasc is helping growers to assess their financial situation and also encouraging co-operation between growers through discussion groups, seminars and events.  A campaign by the Teagasc advisers to assist farmers with their Single Farm Payment application forms is underway.