Tirlán FarmLife plans to extend the amount of gluten-free oats sown over the coming year across Kildare, Laois, Carlow and into Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Meath and Dublin by as much as 1,000 acres to meet growing demand for the premium crop.

The ‘closed loop’ OatSecure™ system means gluten free integrity is achieved across every stage in our unique 14-step process. OatSecure™ encompasses the complete A-Z process, from seed assembly, land and grower selection, to sowing, crop monitoring, harvesting, drying, storage and milling.

The protocol was developed in conjunction with our selected supplier farmers who work to a strict code of practice. Tirlán agronomists select the fields where the oat crop is grown. Only the purest oat seeds are grown and all seed used is traceable. 

Drills are inspected before sowing to avoid contamination. All fields are mapped and rigorously inspected throughout the growing season. Harvesting is completed using dedicated Tirlán-leased combine harvesters and transporting equipment to ensure there are no contamination risks. Sampling and testing at our grain intake is a verification of the agronomy inspections from seed selection right through to final harvest. 

Donal Moloney, Tirlán FarmLife’s Grain Manager

Donal Moloney, Tirlán FarmLife’s Grain Manager, paid tribute to the company’s sales development teams, agronomists and more for their work to ensure extremely strict specifications required to deliver food-grade gluten-free produce are met. 

“All harvesting and transport, potentially worth an additional €30/t on top of the premium price, is carried out by Tirlán FarmLife using dedicated gluten-free machinery. The economic returns compare very favourably. Oat crops also carry lower production costs, particularly fertiliser requirements, which would be a key consideration for 2023,” he explained. 

The Tirlán Plant Hub team has been very successful in growing the food grade oat business and they’ve secured long-term contracts with international food and beverage manufacturers. 

The closed loop supply chain for gluten free food grade oats is a real USP for customers. As of Harvest 2022, Tirlán’s Gluten Free Oats have a gluten guarantee of <5ppm compared to the industry standard of <20ppm. This gives customers the added assurance they desire. 

There is huge potential for gluten free food grade oats, particularly in the cereals, snacks and plant-based food and beverage categories. The Tirlán Plant Hub has a strong pipeline of customers in these categories and the additional acres will go towards meeting the growing demand for this premium crop.