With combining of spring barley well underway, the straw market is now starting to open. Growers and straw sellers are generally asking for €35 per 8x4x3ft square bale and in the range of €15 to €17 for round 4x4ft bales, all out of the field.

Some growers, particularly across Leinster, are reporting plenty of phone calls and demand, along with straw moving from fields.

Others, particularly further south, are reporting few enquiries and slow demand so far. The main influence looks set to be straw yields, which are widely being reported as well down on last year. This follows the pattern of winter barley crops, in which straw yields were also down.

Reports from growers and contractors in all areas are that spring barley straw yields are back by at least two or three round bales per acre – in some cases a lot more. The dragging on of the unsettled, humid weather is also becoming a factor. Straw is getting rain after the combine and is having to be tossed before baling, adding to cost. Green straws are proving slow to dry out.

While it’s barely mid-August, growers are becoming more anxious about the weather and want to see an improvement. If this weather continues, more livestock farmers will move early to buy straw, so as to secure supply.

Wexford grain grower Art Murphy said he has cut a significant area of his spring barley already: “Straw volumes are a little over half of normal.”

He is selling 8x4x3ft square bales at €35 and expects prices to rise further.

“There’s no straw in the UK.” His winter barley straw is all gone.

Contractor Mike Crowley from Inishannon, Co Cork, baled winter oat straw and winter barley straw this week. Yields of winter oat straw are back a little on last year, at four to five square 8x4x3ft bales per acre, he said. Winter barley straw that is not yet baled is suffering some losses now.

“There’s no great take yet for straw here in this part of Cork,” Mike said. “But that could change very quickly – I’m getting plenty of calls from people further up the country looking for straw.”

The winter oat bales are selling at about €32 each, depending on numbers, according to Mike. A straw dealer from Co Monaghan said he is paying €18 to €20 for 4x4 round bales of barley straw from Co Louth and delivering that by the trailer load back to Monaghan with delivery adding a further €5 to €7 per bale, depending on distance.

“It’s hard to shift. Farmers are holding back, they’re waiting for money. It’s like the store lambs – when they’re dear, they’re harder sold.”

Fodder demand

Meanwhile, farmers continue to bale silage and haylage in large volumes and as a result, demand is slow and prices are sluggish. Asking prices for silage are generally in the range of €18 to €25, in some cases less. Asking prices for haylage are in the range €18 to €30.

The broken weather means that farmers are struggling to dry grass enough for baling as hay. A gap is opening on prices.

Sellers with top-quality hay made in late May and now in sheds are generally asking for €25 to €30 per 4x4ft round, in some cases less for big loads.

But farmers with hay bales now sitting in fields, which are starting to weather on the outside, are generally asking for anything from €17 to €20 per bale, and in some cases, as low as €15.