With the vast majority of livestock now on grass, farmers are actively thinking about how much fencing equipment is costing them.

Whether the fencing is permanent or temporary, we look at how much you should be paying the essentials.

The Irish Farmers Journal takes a look at the variation in temporary fencing equipment across the country and provides insight into average costs incurred on the farm for the 2017 grazing season. The figures are based on an average of quotes given by suppliers.

We spoke to a range of merchants from across the country to bring you the best information on what you should be paying.

Prices on the components of temporary fences varied throughout the country. Some suppliers quoted prices for individual products and others for buying in bulk.

For example, places offered 7% discounts on purchasing bales of posts rather than individual posts.

Pigtail posts

Pigtails ranged from €20 to €24.50 for a pack of 10 depending on the part of the country. The most expensive was in the north east with the cheapest in the west.

5ft wooden posts

These posts ranged from €2.50 to €3/post. Again this depended on the area

Tape

White fencing tape ranged from €12.50 to €15.80. This was the price for light tape with heavy tape being more expensive.

The figures were compiled to give an average cost of 200m of temporary fencing in the different areas. The midwest had the highest prices at €86/200m, with the midlands not far behind at €85/200m. In comparison, the northeast came in with the lowest price: €76.90/200m.

Farmers in both the west and southern parts of the country would expect to pay in the region of €82/200m.

With a price gap of €10 between the cheapest and most expensive gear, it can pay to shop around when looking for fencing equipment.

Handles

Farmers are looking at paying between €2.30 and €8 for a single handle while packs of five are trading at €8 to €10 per pack.

Read more

Watch: how to hang a gate

Watch: State-of-the-art slatted sheep shed in Roscommon