This is the season of meetings, conferences and maybe some time off. We had a most successful arable conference at Greenmount College recently.

More than 270 peope turned up to listen to an excellent line-up of speakers, who addressed the ever changing challenges our industry faces and they put forward some interesting ideas on how the sector could meet them.

The possible removal of some key plant protection products, increasing restrictions on how and what we produce and price volatility were all addressed, with the message being that policymakers need to think much more carefully about the potential longer-term implications of many of their decisions.

See also: Read more from our Farmer Focus writers

However, there were also positive messages and I sensed a willingness and determination to get on with the job.

I think our arable sector here, though small, punches well above its weight and is prepared to meet many of these challenges if it is given the right help and support. Politicians please listen. The fact that a record number of people turned up suggests to me that we are either getting something right or our sector is becoming increasingly desperate.

My thanks go to the organising committee for all their hard work and the speakers for their time and their enlightening and often amusing presentations.

Back on farm we are now moving oats to Whites Oats in Co Armagh for processing into porridge oats and a variety of toasted oat cereal products. I have been growing oats here for 30 years reasonably successfully. The climate seems to suit them and I have always managed to achieve the quality requirement or above.

This year is no exception, with bushel weights averaging 57kg/hl at 13% moisture and low screenings, which will attract a welcome bonus. Our base price is down 18% on last year and a whopping 32% on the year before, so we need as many bonuses as possible.

Given all the publicity dairy farmers are getting at the moment, one could be forgiven for thinking they are the only ones that are “feeling the pinch”, but that is far from reality.

Robert Moore farms on the Molenan Estate in Northern Ireland, where his family have farmed for more than 200 years. He switched to arable production in the late 1990s, away from beef and sheep. He still has a small suckler herd on non-suitable arable land.