Farmers around the country are asking as much as €50/bale for round bales of hay made over the recent dry spell.

One farmer in Wicklow told the Irish Farmers Journal that he is looking for €50/bale for organic hay.

“I make 1,500 bales every year. This hay got no chemicals or no fertiliser and farmers who are environmentally concerned are taking it,” he said.

Another farmer in north Tipperary is asking €50/bale for hay collected from the field.

However, in most parts, hay is making between €30/bale and €40/bale, out of the field.

“I got €40/bale for hay that I made the end of May. It was very good hay from older grass. A dairy farmer bought it and he took the whole lot off me [110 bales] and he said he might take more of the stuff I baled this week too.

“He’s coming over 30 miles from the other side of Carlow to buy it.

“I reckon there could be a shortage [of fodder] if this weather continues.

“I’ll probably get a bit less for the stuff I baled this week because it’s newer grass, but I’m hoping it’ll still make €38/bale,” a farmer in Borris, Co Carlow, said.

Another farmer who has hay advertised for €35/bale said that he was wary of a drought looming.

“If I was intensively dairy farming, I’d be looking into buying something. With the cost of renting land, the cost of inputs and the cost of making fodder, it’s not bad value at €35/bale and you’d want that to cover the costs of making it,” the Waterford-based farmer said.

Weekend

Eddie Egan, a contractor in Co Roscommon, said he has been baling hay all weekend.

“Some of the hay is only three or four days cut, there is good quality but it’s just about being careful to not let it burn up.

“Regrowth is a problem for farmers that are heavily stocked and cut silage early, they are running out of grass fast,” he added.

Small square bales are making between €3/bale to €4/bale across the country.