Cereal farmers who had been expecting a bonanza for their crops because of a major increase in international prices, are likely to lose out this year.
The 5,000 producers, who return the highest cereal yields in the world, have been badly hit by the wet weather which is preventing them harvesting their crops.
The harvesting of the winter cereal crops, which were planted late last year, began in late July but yields of winter wheat and barley were lower than usual and the moisture content very high.
Harvesting of the main spring planted crops would normally now be almost completed, but has been badly delayed because farmers cannot access lands to harvest because of soil conditions. "The rain has been horrendous down here and we are being forced out of fields that would normally be well harvested at this time," said one Midlands farmer yesterday.
"The main problem is one of access and combines sink in the ground if they become overloaded so we can only half fill them and that is when the weather is dry enough to harvest," he said.
Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, estimates that two-thirds of the main cereal crop has yet to be harvested and says the longer it is left in the fields, the lower yields will be.
The Irish Bread Bakers Association has warned of higher prices.