Straw imports into the Republic of Ireland have topped 40,000t so far this year and could reach 45,000t by the end of December, traders have predicted. However, imports are likely to be back around 20% on 2024 levels, when close to 58,000t of straw was bought in from abroad.

This year’s imports look set to mirror 2022 levels when 44,500t were imported. The figure for 2023 was 10,400t.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) data shows that Britain remains the primary source of imported straw.

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Close to 20,000t of straw has been imported into the Republic from Britain in 2025.

A further 9,500t was purchased from Northern Ireland, while 10,500t was sourced in Spain. The bulk of these imports were supplied in the first half of the year, and reflect the heightened demand for foreign straw last winter and spring due to the disastrous local straw yields in the 2024 harvest.

The lift in Irish straw yields in harvest 2025 has hit demand for imported supplies. This situation has been exacerbated by a shortage of straw to purchase in the English midlands and south due to the severe summer drought.

Ireland is estimated to have produced around 693,000t of straw this harvest, or the equivalent of 4.6m 4x4 bales. These estimates include the tonnage taken up by the Straw Incorporation Measure.

Meanwhile, the sourcing of almost a quarter of all imports from Spain reflects a growing trend in the straw trade.

Traders maintained that the Spanish straw is generally of excellent quality and is particularly popular with farmers who are including a lot straw in livestock diets.

“It’s usually around 7% moisture. Farmers who switch to Spanish straw rarely come back to buying British or Irish straw,” one trader commented.

While the market for straw was slow through October, the recent heavy rain has resulted in a flurry of buying by livestock farmers. Farmers in the west and northwest are paying up to €40/bale for 4x4 round bales of straw.