Feed mills and merchants are struggling to keep up with demand for feed due to sluggish grass growth and inability to get cattle out to grass around the country.

The lowest-cost grazing dairy nut is being bought for €225 to €230/t for a 14% protein coarse dairy ration. In most cases, merchants are quoting €250 to €260/t. Higher 18% protein rations are slightly higher in most parts at €280/t and, depending on location, can be got at €265/t.

On the beef side, a high-quality ration was quoted at €240/t in Cork, but prices ranged from €273/t to €280/t further up the country. A 12% beef ration was priced at €248/t to €280/t.

Many farmers are looking at straights to fill the gap. Soya hulls, on offer as low as €160/t, are one option, with palm kernel the other option, around the same price.

Rolled barley is freely available at €170 to €190/t. Calcium would have to be fed through the water or dusting.

Fertiliser prices continue to ease back this week. The change in weather has slowed down the draw of fertiliser.

Some of the best deals are 10:10:20 for as low as €385/t for full loads in the southeast. Urea is trading as low as €335/t delivered in 600kg top-lift bags plus one month’s credit and urea at €340/t delivered with payment at the end of May.

Most farmers are doing deals at around €340/t to €350/t for smaller amounts on credit of one to four months.

Granulated CAN has dropped back to under €270/t for top-lift bags delivered without pallets. CAN in bulk ex-port has dropped to €240/t.

SulCAN has been bought for €270/t, while ammonia of sulphate was at €260/t. SulCAN in big bags is generally at €280/t to €300/t for smaller amounts, but one farmer who contacted me said he had done a deal at €255/t for large volumes. Another farmer got 18:4:10+S for €365/t delivered in the southeast.

The best deal on 18:6:12 has now fallen below the €370/t mark, selling from €368/t to €400/t. 27:2.5:5 is back to €370/t in north Leinster, but more commonly trading at €380/t to €390/t. 24:2.5:5 is at €370/t, but up to €450/t was quoted in Munster.

Urea-based 27:2.5:5 is coming in at €350/t to €360/t and 24:2.5:5 is €360/t to €370/t. 10:10:20 is selling for €400/t to €460/t. 15:10:20 was bought at €410/t, while 23:10:0 was at €395/t in top-lift bags. 0:7:30 was at €390/t.

Straw, hay, fodder beet and silage prices

The trade for straw and feed has been re-ignited over the last week. Prices of 4x4 bales have remained at €10 to €12 collected, as most farmers are happy to clear sheds. Barley straw is getting scare and most are switching to wheat for bedding. Farmers in the west are still paying €16 to €20/bale, depending on destination. Round bales of silage are starting to move at anywhere from €15 to €22 each, with pit silage ranging from €22 to €28/t. The piles of beet in fields are diminishing as it is in demand, trading at €30 to €40/t locally.

Fuel prices drop

Fuel prices have dropped by up to 1.5c this week. Tractor diesel has fallen below 50c/l again, while kerosene is back to 48c/l.