Centenary Thurles is the first Irish grain merchant to announce a Harvest 2026 price, offering a headline €225 a tonne for feed barley, plus transport and VAT. The full list is €225/t for feed barley, €237/t for feed wheat and €220/t for oats, inclusive of a bonus of up to €9/t. Both the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the Irish Grain Growers' Group (IGGG) noted the increase on last year.

John Murphy, chair of the IFA National Grain Committee, said the price reflects the recent improvement in world grain markets but "still won't be enough to cover the huge cost increases at farm level". He called on every other merchant and co-op to at least match the base prices in the coming weeks.

Ireland's tillage sector remains under extreme economic pressure, Murphy said, with moderate yields, rocketing machinery costs and stubbornly high fertiliser prices. "Many growers will be seriously considering whether to plant cereals or not over the coming weeks," he said, adding that government support remains essential if the sector is to survive a prolonged period of very low returns.

The IGGG made the same point: this year's improvement in farm-gate returns in no way reflects the very strong rises in input costs across the 2025/26 season. The group is now waiting to see what the feed-barley figure means for malting barley prices, expected within days.

The co-op said Harvest 2026 brought a solid intake of barley, oats, wheat, rye and beans, just over 3% behind last year, with strong quality that gives its feed manufacturing and non-GMO programme at Ballyduff an "excellent foundation". Chairperson Paddy Daly said the price "reflects current market realities while recognising the importance of rewarding our growers for their commitment, quality and loyalty", and that sourcing only local grain strengthens regional supply chains and cuts reliance on imports.

Feed-ingredient markets remain dynamic, Centenary Thurles added, and will be watched closely in the months ahead; it described the pricing as a fair and competitive return that lets it keep the local grain supply on which its feed business depends.

Source: Agriland