Straw market analysis.

An Gof

Member
Location
Cornwall
Judging by the front page of today's Farmers Guardian

IMG_4760.JPG


it looks like the analysis that @gone up the hill gave us on 2017 straw market was a bit wide of the mark :LOL::LOL:
 

D14

Member
Be the NFU fault.

As mentioned on another thread, two merchants when prompted both said to me 25-30% down on their 10 year average tonnages this week. This was a mixture of crops not delivering and choppers being turned on. I think we are going to see easily £80/tonne ex farm without any issues.
 

T Hectares

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Berkshire
Several merchants have been trying to convince me to sell them wheat straw rather than chopping it, offering more money too, still said no as there's still straw sat in the swath next door...

Straw yields were well down this year (in this area )
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
As mentioned on another thread, two merchants when prompted both said to me 25-30% down on their 10 year average tonnages this week. This was a mixture of crops not delivering and choppers being turned on. I think we are going to see easily £80/tonne ex farm without any issues.


Wheat straw per acre in my neck of woods - South Lincs - estimate 25% down on average. Winter Barley straw per acre was about average. Spring Barley per acre very variable due to very variable crops but at least 25% down as an average, maybe more. Power station contract stuff will be covered but my observation of stacks is less surplus about.
 
Location
Devon
They obviously haven't seen the amount of trucks loaded with straw going down past guths.

Unreal amount of straw coming down here from Kent etc,

I honestly have not seen so many lorry's hauling straw south at this time of year as the last 3/4 weeks.

Go two miles along the M5 and you will pass a lorry, go another 2 miles and pass another one and so on.

Some merchants are talking up trade, namely the ones that are going out bidding up stupid money the last 2/3 weeks for baled straw, trouble for them is they need it to get really dear to cover the daft prices they are paying for it ( when they don't need to be )

Seen the trade talked up many times like this before but as time goes on it never gets to the highs a few predict!

Feed barley is what £120t? well I have never know straw to make anymore than £20 less than grain so unless grain rises a lot then this would have to be the first year that grain is worth less than straw if the prices some predict did actually happen.

Farmers would then look a bit stupid for chopping straw when the straw is worth more than the grain...................................
 

T Hectares

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Berkshire
Farmers would then look a bit stupid for chopping straw when the straw is worth more than the grain...................................

Except the only straw I've sold is from malting barley worth £160/t + so I doubt straw is going to be worth more than that ??
Most arable farmers only see a fraction of these headline prices as we are selling in the swath, to achieve any of these headline prices I would have to pay a contractor to bale and stack it, take up valuable barn space which could be rented for commercial or used for other diversification enterprises, and then load out straw over winter and chase money into next harvest.....and hope for a wet winter to increase demand, or I could chop it and retain nutrients and needed OM on farm, relieve my soils of horrendous trafficking in these terrible conditions of a year like this, and not delay OSR drilling because straws on the ground....straw is the price it is for a reason !!

I hate Baling straw, but until I change my combine to a newer one that can successfully chop S Barley straw I'm stuck with selling the straw from that crop for now !!
 
I have been speaking to various parties.

Apparently the amount of straw East of here is much reduced, not quite half as normal but in many cases not far off it.

Even so, a lot of my friends locally have purchased straw for far less than the Frome market value was back in June or whenever it was.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
Unreal amount of straw coming down here from Kent etc,

I honestly have not seen so many lorry's hauling straw south at this time of year as the last 3/4 weeks.

Go two miles along the M5 and you will pass a lorry, go another 2 miles and pass another one and so on.

Some merchants are talking up trade, namely the ones that are going out bidding up stupid money the last 2/3 weeks for baled straw, trouble for them is they need it to get really dear to cover the daft prices they are paying for it ( when they don't need to be )

Seen the trade talked up many times like this before but as time goes on it never gets to the highs a few predict!

Feed barley is what £120t? well I have never know straw to make anymore than £20 less than grain so unless grain rises a lot then this would have to be the first year that grain is worth less than straw if the prices some predict did actually happen.

Farmers would then look a bit stupid for chopping straw when the straw is worth more than the grain...................................

Getting it in before it goes dear , makes sense to me .
 
Location
Devon
Whatever @gone up the hill says, there's a lot less around here. My barn has two bays empty and local contractor/dealer has been asking if I'd sell them some already .

Yes but you sold quite a bit of your straw standing, there will be someone else that did the opposite and will now have a barn full of it.

Key thing is many farmers are buying earlier than normal, these farmers wont be in the market come Jan/ Feb etc so thus there will be less demand at the time when straw prices normally rise.
 

DRC

Member
Yes but you sold quite a bit of your straw standing, there will be someone else that did the opposite and will now have a barn full of it.

Key thing is many farmers are buying earlier than normal, these farmers wont be in the market come Jan/ Feb etc so thus there will be less demand at the time when straw prices normally rise.
I sold one 23 acre field of barley straw. Wish I'd kept it now. The rest we needed for the pig farm and ourselves. Pig barn isn't quite full and we are well down.
Wheat was breaking up to nothing. I've no interest in talking the market either way as most is needed for muck swap. I'm just telling you the facts as I see them and from neighbours
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Yes but you sold quite a bit of your straw standing, there will be someone else that did the opposite and will now have a barn full of it.

Key thing is many farmers are buying earlier than normal, these farmers wont be in the market come Jan/ Feb etc so thus there will be less demand at the time when straw prices normally rise.
you should be talking the market up as you bought far to much and will have some to sell ;)
 

MrNoo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cirencester
Came back from North Wales couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe how many full wagons I saw going in the opposite direction on the M5/6, motorway was full of them!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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