The Dealer nearly spat out his tea last week when he spotted Spanish straw for sale at the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.

With all the news this year about the spread of blackgrass, The Dealer experienced a shudder down his spine at the thought of the stuff doing the rounds, especially when we have shedloads of Irish straw here.

Tillage farmers on the island of Ireland could do with the support of a good straw market, given the year it has been.

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The Dealer couldn’t help but juxtapose the anger at Brazilian beef treated with hormones entering the EU and the lack of reaction to the import of this straw, which could be carrying any number of seeds and weeds of the noxious variety.