Mr. Fintan Conway:

The real emerging pattern is the very high levels of moisture. In terms of the crop loss, it varies from 30% to 70%. However, there is no trend by area or by county because farmers a couple of miles away could have harvested while a next door neighbour bombed out. It was very much dependent on when the crop was ripe and whether the farmer had the machine to cut it. The crop loss was extremely variable within localities, which we have not seen before. In 1985 and 1986, I was involved in the early days of the grain trade. That time, the problem was across every farm in every area. However, this year it is just in particular areas. Liam beside me could bomb out, Joe could have cut his crop and Jim could have bombed out as well. What happened on farms was very variable, very localised and very individualised. It was very unusual. We have been talking to the French, who are in a similar situation. Their loss was probably on a more geographically widespread basis. It was a similar situation in which one farm might have bombed out and another might have saved 50% to 80% of crops. It was a very unusual weather event. I have only seen it once before.