Tillage farmers are warning their crops have been severely impacted by poor weather throughout the year, which will result in a much reduced harvest for 2020.
Yields of some crops are back by as much as 30%, according to experts.
A drought earlier this year, which lasted for almost eight weeks, damaged many crops, as a result the growth pattern was affected.
This means that crops like barley are not easily harvested, with much of the most valuable part of the crop remaining on the ground.
Tillage farms in the midlands and south of the country are said to be the worst affected.
In Laois, farmer Paul Delaney said: "This year yields are back to around two tonnes per acre, and some farmers are not even getting that, there is an awful lot of loss of heads on the ground".
He said 2020 is a lost year for many tillage farmers.
"It is a write off, bills remains the same for us, but we are not making what we need off the crop, we need a three tonne acre to break even, but we are not going to do that this year".
Tillage expert Siobhán Walsh, who works with agriland.ie, says that all over the country heads of barley, which are the most valuable part of the crop, are lying on the ground after harvest.
She also warns that the difficulties harvesting are already impacting the straw yield.
Straw is used to feed and bed animals over the winter and any shortage could impact negatively on livestock farmers over the coming winter.
"The straw yield is definitely back by 50%, farmers are getting on average five bales of straw off spring barely, where they should be getting ten to eleven in a normal year, some farmers are getting as little as three bales to the acre," she said.
"Now the rain means that there is a lot of straw still on the ground because it is wet, that will need to be turned which is adding to the cost of producing it", this will mean bigger losses for tillage farmers in an already bad year.
"If we get a wet winter that straw is going to be needed," she warned.
Mr Delaney also said that the import of maize and other products for animal feed is having a very negative impact on Irish farmers.
"We are competing with cheap imports, which is not a good thing," he said.
"I would urge merchants out there to pay farmers a premium for feeding farmers, to help us compete against imported maize, to give us a chance and help us survive".
The Irish Farmers Association says 70% of the harvest is in, but warns the impact of the weather will result in losses to its members.
The Irish Grain Growers Association urged the new Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to increase the amount of land being used for tillage.
They say the sector can help reduce emissions and a dependence on imports.
