The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has questioned a European Commission prediction of an increase in this year's harvest yields in Ireland, despite the recent bad weather.
The IFA national grain chairman, Colum McDonnell, yesterday predicted a reduction of 10-15 per cent in yields. "If it doesn't pick up soon we are heading for a disaster. We need a lot of good weather from now on to salvage it," he said.
The European Commission's annual crop yield forecast predicted that this year's total cereal harvest in Europe would be 276 million tonnes, or 1.6 per cent below the average of the last five years.
"Heatwaves and drought spells have had a detrimental effect in Eastern countries, especially around the Black Sea region," the commission said in its forecast.
Romania's wheat yield is expected to be down by more than 20 per cent, while Bulgaria's barley yield is predicted to be down by almost 15 per cent.
However, the commission forecast that Irish wheat production would increase by 6.7 per cent while barley would rise by 2.3 per cent.
It said that the east, southeast and north-west of Ireland experienced moderate to severe wet conditions between April and mid-July "although western areas on the whole enjoyed moderate conditions".
The winter wheat and spring barley harvests are expected to start in about three weeks. Mr McDonnell said it was difficult to understand how the country's harvest yield could increase this year, particularly as farmers got bumper yields of spring wheat and barley last year.
"Tillage farmers are frustrated because we have had the wrong weather at the wrong time. The unusually high temperatures in April and the wet, cold weather over the last six weeks have conspired to leave crops in a poorer condition and will reduce potential yield."
He said hay was "a non-starter" because of the constant rain. "Silage is being cut now that should have been cut a month ago, so it can't be good quality."
Mr McDonnell said the weather forecast was not suggesting much improvement in conditions in the coming days.
"Unless there is an improvement in the next week, many farmers are facing the prospect of a very disappointing harvest."
