This week will mark the beginning of the winter barley harvest for many around the country. While crops have been slow to ripen, harvest progress has been steady for a number of growers in the south and northeast. Check out last week’s report here.

Early reports indicate that yields and quality are good, with the 10t/ha (4t/acre) being reached in many fields. However, some crops have been very badly hit by barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and yields as low as 2t/ac (5t/ha).

Last week we visited James English of Cahir, Co Tipperary, who was just beginning his winter barley harvest. Watch the video below to see how he was getting on.

Progress

Progress has been steady for James. When he first started harvesting his Belfry hybrid winter barley, moistures were coming in at 21%, with specific weights of 64 KPH and yields of 8.75t/acre (3.5t/acre) which were likely to increase.

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