The Irish Grain Growers Group – who have a considerable presence in Laois – have called for a minimum price of €250 per tonne for malting barley amid claims that Irish grain prices are amongst the worst in Europe and are “being ripped off year on year”.
“Malting barley prices across Europe have decoupled from wheat prices. European dried premium malting barley was trading this week at €280/tonne. However, in Ireland malting barley is tied to the French Matif milling wheat market with the December contract currently trading at €210/tonne,” said a statement from the Irish Grain Growers.
“As malting barley is used as a benchmark by Irish grain buyers, the deal between Boortmalt and the IFA is placing an artificial cap on Irish grain prices and ensuring Irish tillage farmers are getting ripped off.
“Irish Grain prices are among the poorest in Europe. Feed grain is trading at stronger prices on the continent than what merchants plan to pay here.
“Remember merchants will have the cost of importing this grain on top of the price they will have to pay for the imported grain.
“Boortmalt must now negotiate for a third time this year to reflect the true value of malting barley on the market in Europe.
“Indeed Boortmalt’s European management must step in and address how matters are being run here in Ireland. We demand transparency on how Boortmalt pays its farmers on the continent and Great Britain.
“We demand transparency on how much malting barley is being imported by Boortmalt and what prices are being paid. Boortmalt has complete transparency over farmers’ area sown, inputs and outputs yet produces a set of accounts each year that obfuscates its true commercial position meaning we are in a completely one-sided trading relationship.
“The IFA has perpetuated this imbalance over the last decade or more.
“Are we Irish the only ones using the Matif system, getting repeatedly ripped off year on year and thus distorting the whole Irish Grain market?
“Malting barley growers are sick to the teeth by the way Boortmalt in Ireland is being run, an industry the farmers helped build. They deserve better!
“Once again we call for a minimum price of €250/tonne for malting barley to reflect European trade prices.”
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