Irish farmer says maize bales offer strong value this year
Kilkenny tillage farmer Edward Delahunty says maize forage bales are very good value this year. He is selling them for €100 each, and demand for forage crops remains strong.
Edward Delahunty, a tillage farmer in County Kilkenny in south-east Ireland, has described maize bales as "tremendous value for money" this year. He spoke to the Irish farming news site Agriland. His comments matter to livestock farmers who must secure winter feed after a dry summer.
According to him, forage maize yields are slightly lower overall, but dry matter and the share of grain in the crop are higher. That raises the feeding value of the bales compared with last year. The bales made this season average 920kg, well above the usual weight. Dry matter averages 35%, and starch values are excellent.
Over recent weeks Delahunty has produced 2,000 maize bales and is selling them from his yard at €100 each. In spring he plans to open another maize pit and bale that as well.
Beet and other crops
The 2026 beet harvest is also continuing. In recent days he has sold 500t of beet, and demand remains strong. Despite the drought, yields have held up well. The beet received a fungicide spray and trace elements in September, which coincided with much-needed rain, followed by significant compensatory growth.
Delahunty noted that a lot of grass silage was made in September and October, but it is not yet clear whether it will be enough to carry dairy and beef farmers through the winter. His own customers are a traditional group who continue to feed high-quality forages, including maize and fodder beet.
Overall, he considers it a reasonably good cropping year. Grain yields held up fairly well despite the drought. The dry weather affected some of the maize grown under plastic, but the remaining crops performed extremely well. Ground conditions for beet harvesting remain very good and are likely to stay that way, even though rain is forecast across many parts of the country in the coming days. That should let growers continue sowing winter wheat.
