Tillage farms in Ireland

There are over 300,000 hectares of land in Ireland is used in tillage farming. The main yield from this land are Cereal crops such as wheat, barely and oats.

From 2000 to 2010 the farmers of Ireland produced the highest average wheat and second highest average barley yields in the world.

Arable Farming in Ireland

Ireland has the highest average wheat yield in the world due to it's cool temperate climate and high annual rainfall. To put that into perspective, ireland recorded a wheat yield nearly 10% higher than the UK over a 10 year period and also triumphed New Zealand who hold the record in wheat yield. Although the UK has a similar climate to Ireland, climatically ireland holds a 10% advantage over the majority of the UK. There are over 300,000 hectares of land in Ireland is used in tillage farming.

Cereal Crops Ireland

The main yield from this land are Cereal crops such as wheat, barely and oats. From 2003 to 2012 Ireland recorded average wheat yields of 8.7t/ha compared to 7.7t/ha for the UK. In arable farming, irish cereals operate on 300,000ha of land and this is mainly focused in the south-east region of the country-Dundalk, Rosslare and Cork. It is widely acknowledged in the arable and tillage sector that Ireland is easily capable of expanding this cereal growth area. In fact in 1850, Ireland had 1m ha of cereal growth. It is thought among irish farmers and industry experts however, that the area will not be expanded in the near future. The reasoning for this is because there's a big emphasis on milk production in ireland at the moment because of the EU milk quotas being lifted in 2015 and also wheat costs continue to rise. The benefit of high yields is unfortunately curbed somewhat by high disease-control costs and a short period in which drilling can take place and wheat can be harvested.

Increasing Barley Yields in Ireland

A number of growers in Cork ceased their wheat operations due to too much rainfall which meant Winter wheat area dipped to 70,000ha , and for the first time in Ireland winter barley yield with 80,000ha rose above wheat yield. Cork arable and tillage farmers had difficulty controlling septoria, a disease very prevalent in wet weather. Septoria can diminish wheat yield by 50% quite easily. Fusarium, a disease typical to wet summers can also be a problem for wheat growers. Over recent years barley yields have risen also due to it costing less to produce than wheat.

Oilseed rape diminished from a high of 10,000ha in 2015 to a low of 4,000ha in 2012 due to particularly wet year. Field beans have risen slightly to 20,000ha.

Designed Around Your Interests

Your itinerary will be designed entirely around the needs and interests of your group.

Multi Discipline Tours

We can arrange farm Tours of Ireland to cover a wide range of industrial segments. Do let us know the different disciplines that interest your group and we can suggest visits to cover the range of industries they would like to experience.

Highly Specialist Tours

Our unrivalled range of agricultural contacts means we can provide highly specialist tours. If you would like your time in Ireland to focus entirely on one or a few segments, we can design an itinerary to give you the best insider experiences of Irish agricultural practices in your field.

Agricultural, Horticultural & Aquaculture

Below is a list of some of our specialist areas, but it is by no means an exhaustive list so no matter what your specialism just get in touch to let us provide a quote for your tour.

• Dairy Farm Tours
• Beef Farm Tours
• Sheep Farm Tours
• Pig Farm Tours
• Chicken & Poultry Farm Tours
• Arable & Tillage Farm Tours
• Horticulture & Nursery Stock Tours
• Equine Tours
• Forestry Tours
• Marine & Aquaculture Tours

Whilst you are here...

No visit to Ireland is complete without taking the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of Irish City and Country life. With our years of experience we have honed our tours to ensure you see the best of real Ireland while you are here.

Amongst the Farms and Forests of Ireland, there are Ancient Stones and Crosses, Magnificent Castles and Monasteries; the sheep graze along mountain trails and the farmer enjoys live music and a pint in the local pub. Agri Tours are happy to provide these authentic Irish experiences while you visiting Irish Farms.

Your Tour Your Way

Just let us know the perfect balance for your tour and we will create a unique itinerary to match. Some groups would just like a few pointers for a great Irish pub to enjoy a drink at the end of the day, and other groups would like a much larger bias on the sightseeing aspects, spending a significant part of their time experiencing all of Ireland's magnificent history and culture.

As part of the Discover Ireland tours group, our knowledge extends far beyond the agricultural sectors of Ireland. So if you would also like to discover some of Ireland's history, experience its vibrant culture and get amongst its friendly people, we would be only too happy to incorporate these aspects into your Irish Tour.