Richard Hackett: Why other farm sectors can’t afford to let Irish tillage wither
Unless we get greater support we might not have a tillage industry in 10 years’ time – and then all of our agriculture will suffer
'We don’t have to get to the last acre before a sector is gone. There is a figure of a national area below which it is simply unviable to be serviced' Photo: Roger Jones
This is not an easy year in which to increase the national tillage area: it is very wet, seed is scarce, prices are on the floor, costs are too high, and grower enthusiasm is alarmingly low.
But maybe it’s exactly the right time. If we can increase the area against these headwinds, we can rest assured we have a sustainable, viability industry on our hands.
