The straw market quietened in the past week due to the continuing broken weather. There’s little being cut and less being baled. Like growers, farmers interested in buying straw are waiting to see if weather will improve in the coming days. If it does, there could be a rush to buy.

While there was some combining at the weekend, little, if any, of the resulting straw was baled. Most of it will have to be spread to dry, weather permitting, and then rowed up again for baling. There’s some straw on the ground now for 10 days.

Contractors are typically offering €40/ac to €50/ac for barley straw on the flat

While demand is quite slow, straw prices are unchanged with growers hopeful of €14 to €16 per round 4x4 bale of barley straw straight from the field.

They know that straw yields are back and that there won’t be any overabundance this winter and every bale wanted.

Round bales of oat and wheaten straw are being offered at about €2 to €3 less per bale.

Contractors are typically offering €40/ac to €50/ac for barley straw on the flat, depending on the crop and location. Some of them report that it is hard enough to secure supply.

One Co Antrim haulier contacted the Irish Farmers Journal to say that he was finding it hard to secure straw from his usual farmer suppliers in Kildare, Carlow and Wexford

Contractors who bale wheaten straw for mushrooms are opening on around €22 per 8x4x4 bale an increase on last year.

Bigger growers who can offer ground for standing a reek will look for another €1 or even €2 per bale.

One Co Antrim haulier contacted the Irish Farmers Journal to say that he was finding it hard to secure straw from his usual farmer suppliers in Kildare, Carlow and Wexford, because the harvest is nearly at a standstill. He normally buys one artic lorry load of barley straw per day and brings it back to his livestock farmer customers in Northern Ireland. Demand from his customers is quite good this year, he said.