Shortage of straw!

[woodworm]

So we now have such a shortage of straw in East Anglia that the new ECO2 Snetterton biomass power station is struggling to find enough supplies and apparently their Sleaford plant has been shut down! Maybe someone can correct me on this but that is what I have heard this week??

 

[RAF]

Good

 

[Princess Pooper]

So we now have such a shortage of straw in East Anglia that the new ECO2 Snetterton biomass power station is struggling to find enough supplies and apparently their Sleaford plant has been shut down! Maybe someone can correct me on this but that is what I have heard this week??

Don't they secure their tonnage with forward purchasing? A bit risky if they don't!

Rather amused to read this on the Sleaford plant's website
"The plant’s technology means it can only combust clean biomass and in this case it will primarily burn straw, a by-product of wheat production, which is available in abundance in the UK; indeed Government estimates suggest that there are 3 million tonnes of surplus straw in the east of the country. " Also amused to see that the general manager of this renewable energy plant is a Mr John Cole (say it out loud )

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Renewable Energy Policy is a disgrace

 

[Kiwi Pete]

A bit different when renewable energy relies on stuff that just "renews":
Hydro
Wind
Tide
Solar

Once it involves "byproducts" then it is the tip of a clusterf**k IMO

--- Feed gorse into the things, it is biomass, bet it takes less energy to produce a ton of dry gorse than a ton of dry straw - when all the gorse is gone, make a "dynamic assessment" FFS

 

[nick...]

As i stated on here before im less than ten miles from snetterton and ive never had contact from them regarding buying my straw.everytime i venture onto the A11 there us a constant stream or trucks bringing straw this way.god knows how far they are hauling it.
Nick...

 

[ZXR17]

Straw has been fetching silly high prices down here. I'd like to see the economics of burning straw at well over £100 / ton.
Cattle are just being turned out this week and there is little to no straw left.
Spring crops aren't going to yield much straw this year.
I think straw will be in short supply again and expensive.

 

[Werzle]

Crops of wheat look fantastic around us, i dont no why livestock farmers keep talking the price up

 

[DRC]

I wouldn’t fancy being the baler man or straw cart team on some of the fields I’ve seen.
Massive ruts as people are desperate to get fertiliser and sprays on.

 

[Tom.6420]

Time for cattle men to start talking about forward pricing straw with a friendly arable farmer. Don't wait for it to be cheap again.

 

[DRC]

Crops of wheat look fantastic around us, i dont no why livestock farmers keep talking the price up

Barns are empty and there’s a big swing to spring cropping in many parts, due to black grass and the vogue of cover crops and no till. Spring crops only just going in or abandoned for fallow, so there’s a fair chance straw will be expensive again

 

[DRC]

Time for cattle men to start talking about forward pricing straw with a friendly arable farmer. Don't wait for it to be cheap again.

I’ll do cheap straw if you’ll do me some cheap store cattle.

 

[Top Tip.]

I’ll do cheap straw if you’ll do me some cheap store cattle.

One mans cheap is another mans too dear.

 

[davieh3350]

Time for cattle men to start talking about forward pricing straw with a friendly arable farmer. Don't wait for it to be cheap again.

Time for cattle men to start growing their own.

 

[icanshootwell]

Renewable Energy Policy is a disgrace

It really is crazy, potatoes, maize, beat, going into ad plants, thus pushing up land rents, now its happening to the straw, with demand going up, how can a beef farmer buy straw at such inflated prices, even the Irish are buying from England and hauling it back, Beef farming is run on such tight margins, some will need to get the calculators out to do budgets i think.

 

[davieh3350]

It's not all AD plants fault. A vast amount is used to cover carrots too.

 

[Courier]

'Twas only a matter of time......

 

[nick...]

Few dealers round here who have a dreadful reputation of making loads of mess.leaving staw on edge of field to be cleared when it suits them,normally jan,feb,march.then leave top layer for farmer to dispose of because its wet.last person who bought straw here done evevything he was told not to,did not pay for straw fir over a year till he was threatened with court action but still advertises locally but no one will deal with him.had a contact from another who understand is just as bad.maybe ill get contacted by someone.got a stck farmer next door who had it last year and may do the same again.
Nick...

 

[Werzle]

Barns are empty and there’s a big swing to spring cropping in many parts, due to black grass and the vogue of cover crops and no till. Spring crops only just going in or abandoned for fallow, so there’s a fair chance straw will be expensive again

Springs always sprung and nature sorts itself.
A fair few farmers have got plenty of straw and fodder ,they didnt want to sell. Old boys always used to keep an extra bay for a bad winter. In two days we have gone from doom mongering about the weather and lack of grass to now forcasting doom about the standing straw price. Fair few arable farmers going back to muck for straw locally and you cannot graze fields 12 months of the year AND have spring grass to turnout too .

 

[Courier]

It's not all AD plants fault. A vast amount is used to cover carrots too.

At least carrots are a food crop !