James Kelly takes over as IGGG chair
The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has elected a new chair; he is long-standing member James Kelly, from Athy in Co. Kildare.
Farming with his brothers, James grows a selection of crops, including wheat; barley; oilseed rape; beans and oats.
A range of cultivation techniques are employed on the farm involving the use of plough-based and min-till establishment systems.
James has served on the IGGG committee since its inception. He is heavily involved with his local tillage discussion group and has a keen interest in the GAA.
Members of the Kelly family have played for the Kildare county team.
The IGGG 2025 annual general meeting (AGM) saw the appointment of two vice chairs: Nicky Keane from Co. Wexford and Donal O’Keefe, from Co. Westmeath.
Outgoing chair, Bobby Miller, has been appointed to the position of joint secretary and will work closely with the existing secretary, Clive Carter.
Bobby Miller will also continue to represent IGGG on the Food Vision Tillage Group.
Ahead of the election of officers, the outgoing chair used his final address to highlight the complexities associated with modern tillage farming.
“I have been involved with the Irish Grain Growers Group since its infancy, first as secretary and then as chairperson," Bobby Miller said.
"I step aside today as chairperson, proud of our current standing as a group. We have gained hard earned respect from all quarters, including the Department of Agriculture, other farm bodies, politicians and the Irish agricultural industry itself.
“Yes, I would have liked the group to have made more progress in certain aspects, including a greater membership base.
“But taking stock as I step aside , those who have aided the group to get it to where it is , should certainly feel a sense of achievement for an organisation that is now leaving its infancy behind," he added.
According to Miller, there has always been a need for a group, such as IGGG, to speak solely on behalf of Irish tillage farmers.
“From day one, I truly believed in the need for a group like ours, to be a strong, practical, positive voice for the sector, today I feel no different .
“The challenges for the sector are ever evolving , whether it’s generational renewal, EU and Irish policy, imports that we must question, land pressures from other sectors, just to name a few.
“The workload to represent tillage farmers is certainly there. The financial support of members to date is truly appreciated and as we grow as a group we have placed ourselves in a position to dedicate greater time to the goals and challenges of the organisation," he told the AGM.
The outgoing IGG chairman also used the opportunity to highlight the achievements of the farm organisation over recent years.
“We have influenced and we must continue to influence government policy going forward . We must promote ourselves as a sector.
“We must push for more added value for what we produce that leaves a greater margin per hectare.
"We must ensure the metrics are in place for proof to differentiate between what we produce relative to imported grains.
"We must get official recognition for native Irish grain and pulses. It's simply not acceptable to us that the marketplace does not distinguish between native Irish and imported stock whether it's the drinks industry or the feed industry feeding our livestock .
“That’s a challenge our new Government must take up," he said.
Miller concluded by saying there are opportunities for the tillage sector going forward, including anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, the drinks’ industry and plant-based foods.
“It will take work and investment for this to materialise and IGGG will play its part for this to happen," he said.
