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Farmers and agri-merchants are encountering difficulties when sourcing fencing posts, especially in western parts of NI where supplies are extremely tight.
Most affected is the supply of fencing posts which come with a 15- or 25-year manufacturer guarantee.
Such posts are required for completion of fencing work under the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), and there has been a significant spike in demand since January, as farmers look to complete agreed works by 1 June to avail of grant funding through the scheme.
Merchants indicate a combination of reasons for the current supply issues, most notable being the shortage of timber locally and throughout the UK, caused by increased production of woodchips to fuel biomass boilers.
The impact of this has extended further afield, with supplies of posts in Scandinavia also under pressure.
Local manufacturers of fencing posts are unable to make up the deficit, given that there is a longer time period required to bring posts to market with a 15-year guarantee.
Stockpile
Sensing a possible shortage earlier this year, various reports indicate that fencing contractors moved to stockpile posts, which again has disrupted the supply coming onto the market for general sale.
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