Prices for barley straw are up £5 to £10/bale on last summer, as growers battle wet weather to salvage the 2023 harvest.
Quotes for round bales range from £20 for straw collected in the field, to highs of £25 to £27, where delivery is included and local demand exceeds supply. Reports also indicate 2022 barley straw is coming out of storage sheds at prices around £20.
Square bales are making £50 to £52 for 8x4x3s, an increase of £10 on last summer. Larger 8x4x4 bales will cost upwards of £65 before haulage, with some reports of £70 being a more realistic value. Again, there are transactions being agreed at similar prices for 2022 straw. There are also some reports that new season English straw has been imported for £140/t to £150/t.
Bale weight
Farmers in the market for straw should ask about average bale weight to establish the best value for money. Round 4x4 bales typically weigh 140kg to 160kg, but 130kg to 180kg is not uncommon. Square 8x4x3 bales typically bales 350kg to 380kg, with 8x4x4 bales weighing 550kg to 600kg. At £25 for 150kg round bales, 8x4x3 square bales at £50 work out cheaper.
Supply
Demand for straw is building as wet conditions see cattle housed, to go alongside the usual requirement from dairy farmers preparing for autumn calving.
However, availability is a concern the longer the intermittent 2023 harvest continues, with potentially more growers deciding to chop straw instead.
Spring crops are also expected to produce lower straw yields, while in the Republic of Ireland, the Straw Incorporation Scheme will take 70,000ha, or around 1.5 million bales, out of circulation in 2023.
Grain prices
As the stop-start grain harvest rolls on, more grain prices are emerging. Dried barley sold into local feed mills is trading around £210 to £215/t, with green grain off the combine at 20% moisture, closer to £175/t.
Read more
Tillage area predicted to decline - Teagasc MACC
Farmer views: July a washout with some cattle housed in parts
Prices for barley straw are up £5 to £10/bale on last summer, as growers battle wet weather to salvage the 2023 harvest.
Quotes for round bales range from £20 for straw collected in the field, to highs of £25 to £27, where delivery is included and local demand exceeds supply. Reports also indicate 2022 barley straw is coming out of storage sheds at prices around £20.
Square bales are making £50 to £52 for 8x4x3s, an increase of £10 on last summer. Larger 8x4x4 bales will cost upwards of £65 before haulage, with some reports of £70 being a more realistic value. Again, there are transactions being agreed at similar prices for 2022 straw. There are also some reports that new season English straw has been imported for £140/t to £150/t.
Bale weight
Farmers in the market for straw should ask about average bale weight to establish the best value for money. Round 4x4 bales typically weigh 140kg to 160kg, but 130kg to 180kg is not uncommon. Square 8x4x3 bales typically bales 350kg to 380kg, with 8x4x4 bales weighing 550kg to 600kg. At £25 for 150kg round bales, 8x4x3 square bales at £50 work out cheaper.
Supply
Demand for straw is building as wet conditions see cattle housed, to go alongside the usual requirement from dairy farmers preparing for autumn calving.
However, availability is a concern the longer the intermittent 2023 harvest continues, with potentially more growers deciding to chop straw instead.
Spring crops are also expected to produce lower straw yields, while in the Republic of Ireland, the Straw Incorporation Scheme will take 70,000ha, or around 1.5 million bales, out of circulation in 2023.
Grain prices
As the stop-start grain harvest rolls on, more grain prices are emerging. Dried barley sold into local feed mills is trading around £210 to £215/t, with green grain off the combine at 20% moisture, closer to £175/t.
Read more
Tillage area predicted to decline - Teagasc MACC
Farmer views: July a washout with some cattle housed in parts
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