Tipperary farming: annual organic oats conference hails collaboration opportunities across farming sectors
This year’s Flahavan’s Organic Oat Grower of the Year Award went to Angus Woods from Co. Wicklow, recognising his commitment to producing high-quality organic oats. The annual conference looked at research into oat varieties, weed control, and the possibility of new markets for organic oats
New research into oat varieties, advances in crop management and opportunities for greater collaboration across Irish agriculture were among the key themes at Flahavan’s annual Organic Oat Growers Conference, held at the Dunamaise Theatre, Portlaoise, on Tuesday, 20 October.
The event brought together organic oat growers, farmers considering conversion, researchers, agricultural advisers, government representatives and industry stakeholders to explore how innovation, investment and cooperation can support a commercially resilient Irish tillage sector.
Flahavan’s, which has experienced a five-fold increase in demand for its organic oats since 2010, driven particularly by export growth in the UK, used the occasion to encourage discussion on opportunities extending beyond organic oats to the wider tillage and agricultural sectors.
“Our growers are central to the success of our organic oat business, but many of the challenges and opportunities we face are shared right across Irish tillage and agriculture” said Johnny Flahavan, Head of Operations at Flahavan’s.
Practical innovation in crop management was a major theme, with Martin Bourke, Organic Tillage Specialist with Teagasc, sharing findings from the Organic Tillage & Vegetables European Innovation Partnership, a project that is evaluating more effective approaches to mechanical weed control.
Martin Bourke said: “As part of the Organic Tillage & Vegetables EIP project, our spring oat trials show the real potential of combining blind weeding with a carefully timed post-emergence pass. By tackling weeds early, when they are small and vulnerable, we were able to make the follow-up harrowing much less aggressive while achieving more than 90% weed removal.
“It’s an encouraging result for organic growers, demonstrating how the timing and combination of mechanical weed control operations can help improve weed management and support more sustainable oat production.”
The conference also explored the importance of developing reliable commercial outlets for the range of crops grown within organic tillage rotations, as well as opportunities to strengthen connections between tillage and livestock farming.
One potential area discussed was the development of dedicated organic feed milling capacity in Ireland, which could provide additional markets for domestically grown cereals while supporting demand for Irish-produced organic livestock feed.
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the Flahavan’s Organic Oat Grower of the Year Award 2026 to Angus Woods from Co. Wicklow, recognising his commitment to producing high-quality organic oats.
The award acknowledged the dedication and expertise of Irish growers, particularly following a challenging 2026 harvest