Share Farming has Much to Offer, says Leading Tillage Farmer

28 January 2004

Leading Cork tillage farmer, Martin O’Regan, has no regrets about becoming a farmer.

“There is nothing to beat starting with a bare field in the spring and harvesting a high yielding crop in the autumn, having sowed and nurtured it successfully through the different growth stages,” he told the Teagasc National Tillage Conference in Carlow.

Martin farms over 100 hectares (250 acres) at Belgooly, near Kinsale, which is devoted to spring wheat, spring barley and sugar beet.

He shares machinery with his brother who farms nearby and is also involved in a share farming arrangement with a neighbour.

“The share farming arrangement enables me to spread my machinery costs over a larger acreage and allows my neighbour to pursue an off-farm career while still being involved in farming”, he said.

He believes that share farming must be encouraged in the future in order to bring about a reduction in costs.

Referring to the technological advances in tillage farming, Martin O’Regan says he remembers harvesting his first 3 tonnes/acre (7.5 tonne/ha) crop of wheat in 1975 and his first 4 tonnes (10 tonnes/ha) crop in 1984.

“I have yet to attain 5 tonnes/acre (12.5 tonnes/ha) from wheat but some of my neighbours have. I harvested my first 3 tonne/acre barley crop in 1978 and my first 4 tonnes crop in 1989,” he said.

He describes the 20 hectares (50 acres) of sugar beet on his farm as the hub of his tillage farming operation. While some growers achieved yields last year of 75 tonnes/hectare (30 tonnes/acre), the average yield is 50 tonnes/hectare (20 tonnes/acre).

“A substantial lift in yields should be the urgent mission of the combined talents of Teagasc, Irish Sugar and our better growers,” he said.

Martin O’Regan believes that endangering Irish sugar production would radically alter the whole system of Irish tillage farming.

“Brazil, Australia and Thailand are the main critics of the EU system and are constantly pressing, through the WTO, to get access to the EU market. There are no production quotas in these countries. For example Brazilian exports of sugar have increased from 2 million tonnes in 1991 to 13 million tonnes in 2002.”

“I cannot help but feel that the EU Commission is bending over backwards to facilitate non-member states, regardless of the consequences for EU sugar beet growers. It is imperative that EU growers are supported and get priority,” he stressed.