Beef ration prices remain at €220 to €240/t across the country, with some farmers able to buy larger loads closer to €200/t. Sheep rations are costing €225 to €240/t, with blends available at €10 to €15/t lower. Higher-quality dairy rations are selling for €260 to €280/t.

The overall trade is seeing low demand due to the country being over-quota and plentiful forage. This is leading to build-up of stocks and increased competition between merchants.

Wheat continues to slip out of rations due to cost, with maize and, in particular, native barley increasing.

Feed wheat price at over €200/t on the spot market is being dragged up by scarce supplies of milling wheat.

On the protein side, soyabean meal has fallen back to €410/t on the spot market and falls by €5 a month into the summer.

Rapeseed meal remains steady at €269/t. Corn gluten at €200/t is better value than corn distillers at present.

Citrus pulp is steady at €176/t, with beet pulp €10 higher at €186/t on the spot market.

Texting and getting online

I don’t mind getting the texts, but do I have to register online to get the new payments? Are they trying to push old farmers out altogether?

They were questions an older farmer asked me last week. He had received a letter from the Department on the texting and online service.

The answer is no, they are not trying to push old farmers out, but they are trying to get more online. You do not have to sign up online to be paid.

However, submitting your application online will become compulsory for tillage farmers affected by greening.

While many older farmer have registered for the Department online system, the option is available to nominate an agent/adviser to submit online for you.

There is no downside in registering for online, either individually or through an agent.

As we progress, more schemes will be applied for online. The national reserve applications will be open online on 5 January.

Farmers thinking of applying and not already online should look to get registered now. Go to the website www.agfood.ie or ring the dedicated helpdesk at lo-call 1890-252118.

SFP update

Another 900 farmers were paid in the last week under SFP. The additional €10m paid out brings the total payments made to €1.147bn. The total number of farmers paid is now 119,894, leaving just 3,000 farmers waiting to be processed. Further payments will go out next week.