Good-quality, wilted and chopped silage is making €46/bale, undelivered, in Co Cork.

A Dunmanway-based farmer told the Irish Farmers Journal that demand is strongest among dairy farmers who want well-made silage.

“I had a couple hundred bales to sell as it was surplus to requirements – the man I contract rear for went down with TB and I don’t like carrying it over. It’s making €46 from the yard – if it’s good enough, it’ll make it. I know that these bales are weighing 750kg going into a diet feeder,” he said.

Another farmer in Roscommon is charging €40 per bale for first and second-cut silage off reseeded ground.

“Dairy farmers are showing the most interest. It cost me over €30/bale to make it after paying contractors and buying fertiliser, so I don’t think I’ll go any lower than €40. I’ve had a good few callers,” he said.

These prices, however, are at the higher end of the scale, as silage is being advertised from as low as €25 in parts of the country. Many of these prices are seen in the west and border region, where 2022 proved to be a good year for harvesting extra forage, with more marginal lands less affected by lower rainfall levels and not experiencing drought conditions seen in many parts of the east, south and midlands.

Organic

One farmer in Dublin is selling organic silage for as much as €50/bale. He told the Irish Farmers Journal that since putting the ad up on Monday, he has had “several callers” and not one complaint about the price.

Hay

Meanwhile, hay is not as hot on the market as silage, according to farmers in Leinster.

“The demand for hay is slow, we sell hay every year and this year has been one of the worst, which is disappointing because last year was such an expensive year to make it. It’s great hay too.

“The demand for silage on the other hand is strong. I bought a bit of silage two weeks ago and gave €40 a bale, delivered,” he said.

This farmer has hay advertised for €40 a bale, but has not had many enquiries. He said that it cost an extra €12/bale to make hay last year due to the cost of inputs.

“My neighbour is selling and delivering small square bales and there’s more demand for them. He’s getting €5/bale for them,” he said.

Demand is also low in the west, where some farmers are offering hay at prices of €30 to €35 to increase space for calving, lambing and rearing calves.