Growers paid over the odds to water crops in July, August
Some vegetable growers had to pay nine times the normal amount to water their crops during this summer's drought conditions, a new report by Teagasc has found.
A recent Teagasc report reveals that vegetable growers in Ireland were forced to pay exorbitant amounts for irrigation during the summer drought. A typical 25mm irrigation application cost growers over €345 per hectare, but to safeguard their crops from the extreme heat in July and August, some growers spent more than €3,100 per hectare.
This excessive expenditure resulted in lower-quality produce and reduced marketable yields. The state body for agriculture and food development acknowledged that climate change poses significant challenges for Ireland's field vegetable sector. Ireland experienced its hottest summer on record in 2026, marking the second consecutive year with a broken national summer temperature record.
The severe drought during July and August placed immense pressure on outdoor field vegetable production, with impacts largely dependent on access to irrigation. As the weather pattern broke down in late August, rain returned, and soil moisture levels nearly returned to normal. However, unirrigated crops suffered yield and quality losses of 25% to 40%, while irrigated crops retained more of their value.
Only 30% to 35% of Ireland's vegetable production area has sufficient irrigation capacity, and even well-equipped growers found their previous capacity insufficient during the prolonged drought. Dermot Callaghan, head of Teagasc's Horticulture Development Department, emphasized that 2026 was a rehearsal for the future, urging growers to prepare for severe weather swings as the next event of this scale is now certain to prepare for.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
