A red-hot trade for good-quality hay for cattle has pushed prices over the €40 per bale (4x4) mark.

Even fancier prices are being offered for horse hay, with farmers and horse owners indicating that up to €50/bale has been paid.

While a lot of hay has been made over the last fortnight, a premium is being paid for hay saved in early June.

ADVERTISEMENT

One Wexford farmer who talked to the Irish Farmers Journal said that €40/bale was the base price for June-saved hay out of the shed. This is up from €25 to €28/bale last year.

The same farmer had a small number of bales of hay suitable for horses. He was looking for €25 to €55/bale for these.

When asked about the hike in prices, the farmer pointed out that there was very little June-saved hay on the market.

“We’d sell thousands of bales of hay if we had them, but we don’t. There was no hay saved in July,” he maintained.

Around €40/bale was also being quoted for June-saved hay, out of the shed, for cattle in Limerick and Tipperary. However, hay saved recently was making €30 to €35/bale.

Fodder traders in the west said there was very little hay on offer. However, they maintained that hay transported from the south and east will cost in the region of €50/bale.

Fancy prices are also being quoted for haylage, with a delivered price of €45/bale being quoted in south Tipperary.

Meanwhile, in a development which might take some of the heat out of the fodder trade, contractors report very strong silage yields in recently harvested crops.