What's standing grass for silage worth this year?

[gellis888]

Ground I'm farming with sheep is currently really under stocked as it was took on in September 2020, sheep were over wintered outside and the grass wasn't performing well. So, this spring and summer I'm going to have a huge surplus. A neighbouring farmer is short of silage ground this year and wants to buy my surplus grass. But what does anyone think its worth per ha or bale?

I can send a picture of my workings but a rough £23 a bale/£215 per ha value (9-10 bales) and a cost of contractors of £140 a ha. That's a difference of £75. Does £50 a ha sound realistic? Would be interesting to hear peoples thoughts.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Not sure if I understand your £50 but if I do it way to cheap . At least double that, whos paying for firtilizer

 

[Still Farming]

£50 Ha? (2.2 acres)
Is it Mountain land?

 

[gellis888]

Not sure if I understand your £50 but if I do it way to cheap . At least double that, whos paying for firtilizer

Not sure whether I will or they will yet. But its to take 1 cut off? I'll then graze it after or leave it again for another cut if I have too much grass still

 

[gellis888]

£50 Ha? (2.2 acres)
Is it Mountain land?

its not something I've ever done, as you can tell, I'm not sure what its worth! It's to be cut and then I'll graze it after

 

[Still Farming]

its not something I've ever done, as you can tell, I'm not sure what its worth! It's to be cut and then I'll graze it after

Soon find out , as too expensive and you'll not hear anything, and too cheap phone and queue be red hot possibly???

 

[Cowmansam]

If he’s going to bale it let him do the work and you take a share of the bales bound to come in useful at some point

 

[teslacoils]

£100/AC.

Plus fert.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

[emoji23] its not something I've ever done, as you can tell, I'm not sure what its worth! It's to be cut and then I'll graze it after

You've not been clear with your post sorry to say
How many acres is it
Are you applying firtilizer
And is it for bales or pit
For bales it is normal just to sell the grass per bale and leave the buyer to do the work

 

[deleted user 837354]

£100/AC.

Plus fert.

And the agreement involves the P and K going back as slurry or similar as well.

 

[gellis888]

You've not been clear with your post sorry to say
How many acres is it
Are you applying firtilizer
And is it for bales or pit
For bales it is normal just to sell the grass per bale and leave the buyer to do the work

Possibly 20 acres maybe a few more
I might apply fertiliser which will have cost about £16 an acre
It's for bales
So if it costs them to pay contractors £10-15 a bale and bales I've seen in my area sold were £23.
In that case £16 for fert plus applying it £5 over 5 bales is £4, plus the £10 diff in cost and value^, £14 a bale wouldn't be unfair?

 

[gellis888]

And the agreement involves the P and K going back as slurry or similar as well.

I'm not sure I'd see that coming back to me unfortunately

 

[gellis888]

If he’s going to bale it let him do the work and you take a share of the bales bound to come in useful at some point

What would you say was a fair share?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Possibly 20 acres maybe a few more
I might apply fertiliser which will have cost about £16 an acre
It's for bales
So if it costs them to pay contractors £10-15 a bale and bales I've seen in my area sold were £23.
In that case £16 for fert plus applying it £5 over 5 bales is £4, plus the £10 diff in cost and value^, £14 a bale wouldn't be unfair?

Grass in bales they do all the work makes between £5 and £10 bale

 

[teslacoils]

And the agreement involves the P and K going back as slurry or similar as well.

I'm not sure it's possible to balance pk offtake from silage just from slurry without being over the organic N limits. And I'd not want someone else's fym either. Best either have them apply a npk fertiliser in the right ratios, or bill them for fibrophos as per offtake.

Slurry a different matter.

 

[gellis888]

Grass in bales they do all the work makes between £5 and £10 bale

Ideal, thanks. High majority ryegrass and good clover content would be the higher end presumably or does it depend on the area?

 

[Tsa115]

We have been paying £8 to £10 /bale for every bale we take off, doing the job in house. Atleast we can cut it when we want weather wise. Fert included.

 

[gellis888]

I'm not sure it's possible to balance pk offtake from silage just from slurry without being over the organic N limits. And I'd not want someone else's fym either. Best either have them apply a npk fertiliser in the right ratios, or bill them for fibrophos as per offtake.

Slurry a different matter.

My p and k levels are both 3 so it can afford to drop slightly?

 

[Al R]

I pay £6 to the land owner and I endure all the costs, not the best of grass but 4-6 bales/acre as the sheep are usually on it until weeks before.

 

[Cowmansam]

What would you say was a fair share?

A third if they fert and carry them after