NAAC contractor price guide 2024-25
© Tim Scrivener The National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) has released its latest survey of contracting prices, which shows a general rise in the charge rates submitted by members.
They are battling high inflation, which has hovered around 5% for the past few months, as well as increased machinery, labour and insurance costs.
This has more than offset the slight reduction in diesel price, which has dropped from the £1/litre benchmark in last year’s survey to 85p/litre this year.
See also: Contractor Comment: Beet lifting headaches in the Borders
“This is already a difficult and frustrating year for the whole industry, with high rainfall and sodden ground frustrating efforts to get crops established,” says NAAC chairman Matt Redman.
“However, all contractors must continue to review their price structures and keep steadfast on payment terms to ensure that businesses are able to continue to supply farmers with reliable services.”
NAAC members are encouraged to calculate their individual outgoings using its dedicated tool to ensure that quotes are accurate and sustainable to keep pace with machinery depreciation and replacement costs.
“The survey has highlighted again how individual charges vary widely across the UK, with businesses reaching different conclusions on rates needed to offer a professional service,” adds Jill Hewitt, NAAC chief executive.
“But contractors generally take significant financial risk and their prices need to reflect costs, allowing them to remain profitable and continue to support their customer base.”
NAAC contracting prices survey 2024 |
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The results of the survey are based on red diesel at 85p/litre and are likely to vary as input costs change, so contractors should add a fuel surcharge to reflect any rise in price beyond that benchmark. Any non-agricultural operations will require the use of white diesel. The figures are intended as a guide only and are an average of the prices provided by NAAC members. The actual price may vary considerably between regions, soil types, distance travelled, size of contract undertaken, size and type of equipment used, and the amount of product applied. Contractors may also have individual arrangements with customers regarding diesel (for example, separate fuel surcharge or fuel used on farm). The prices below do not reflect this market trend and such agreements may make a significant difference to contracting charges. It is important that contractors calculate their own costs based on individual circumstances. |
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Soil preparation |
£/ha |
£/acre |
|
|
Ploughing – light land |
74.19 |
30.02 |
|
|
Ploughing – heavy land |
81.46 |
32.97 |
|
|
Extra for furrow press on plough |
9.06 |
3.67 |
|
|
Deep ploughing (more than 30cm) |
92.41 |
37.40 |
|
|
Rotavating (ploughed land/grass) |
97.72 |
38.33 |
|
|
Subsoiling |
77.41 |
31.33 |
|
|
Mole ploughing – single leg |
102.15 |
41.34 |
|
|
Mole ploughing – twin leg |
101.26 |
40.98 |
|
|
Stubble raking |
29.96 |
12.13 |
|
|
Disc harrowing |
58.34 |
23.61 |
|
|
Power harrowing – shallow |
67.35 |
27.26 |
|
|
Power harrowing – deep |
76.32 |
30.89 |
|
|
Spring-tine harrowing |
45.79 |
18.53 |
|
|
Pressing (Rexius Twin/Cultipress or similar) |
53.28 |
21.56 |
|
|
One-pass tillage train |
78.08 |
31.60 |
|
|
Rolling – flat |
34.46 |
13.94 |
|
|
Rolling – ring |
23 |
9.31 |
|
|
Bed tilling |
250 |
101.17 |
|
|
Chain harrowing |
33.81 |
13.68 |
|
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Drilling |
£/ha |
£/acre |
|
|
Cereals – conventional |
60.82 |
24.62 |
|
|
Cereals – combi-drill |
82.27 |
33.29 |
|
|
Cereals – direct |
77.53 |
31.38 |
|
|
OSR – subsoiler |
86.48 |
35 |
|
|
Sugar beet |
66.10 |
26.75 |
|
|
Potato planting |
248.55 |
100.59 |
|
|
Carrot/parsnip/onion – precision |
98.84 |
40 |
|
|
Maize – precision |
57.51 |
23.27 |
|
|
Maize – under plastic |
163.08 |
66 |
|
|
Grass seed – broadcast |
34.02 |
13.77 |
|
|
Grass seed – harrow |
47.08 |
19.35 |
|
|
Grass seed – cross-drilling |
63.53 |
25.71 |
|
|
Application |
£/ha |
£/acre |
£/hour |
|
Fertiliser – granular |
15.87 |
6.46 |
|
|
Fertiliser – extra for variable rate |
4.46 |
1.80 |
|
|
Fertiliser – liquid |
15.95 |
6.39 |
|
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Spraying – arable |
15.07 |
6.10 |
|
|
Spraying – grassland |
24.85 |
10.06 |
82.73 |
|
ATV spraying |
|
|
48.29 |
|
Slug-pelleting |
11.18 |
4.53 |
|
|
Avadex |
19.33 |
7.82 |
|
|
Weed wiping |
|
|
75 |
|
|
£/t |
|
|
|
Lime spreading |
7.75 |
|
|
|
Muck and slurry |
£/t |
|
£/hour |
|
FYM – tractor and rear-discharge spreader |
3.52 |
|
70.42 |
|
FYM – tractor and side-discharge spreader |
5 |
|
60 |
|
Loading and spreading chicken litter |
5.31 |
|
|
|
Loading shovel |
|
|
72.75 |
|
|
|
£/cu m |
£/hour |
|
Slurry – tanker and trailing shoe or dribble bar |
|
|
74.92 |
|
Slurry – umbilical |
|
2.22 |
137 |
|
Slurry – extra pump |
|
|
72.50 |
|
Slurry – injection |
|
|
110 |
|
Slurry – separating service (with capacity of + \-100cu m/hour) |
|
|
100 |
|
Harvesting |
£/ha |
£/acre |
£/hour |
|
Combining – cereals |
116.36 |
47.09 |
|
|
Combining – extra for straw chopper |
11.86 |
4.80 |
|
|
Combining – OSR out of windrow |
112.84 |
45.67 |
|
|
Combining – OSR direct |
114.90 |
46.50 |
|
|
Swathing – OSR |
54.05 |
21.88 |
|
|
Combining – peas/beans |
113.84 |
46.07 |
|
|
Combining – grain maize |
138.10 |
55.89 |
|
|
Grain carting |
|
|
57.48 |
|
Potatoes – harvesting |
800.35 |
323.90 |
|
|
Potatoes – harvesting and carting |
1,235.48 |
500 |
|
|
Potatoes – destoning |
319.39 |
129.26 |
|
|
Sugar beet – harvesting |
292.01 |
118.17 |
|
|
Sugar beet – harvesting and carting |
325.31 |
131.65 |
|
|
Topping/flail mowing |
52.96 |
21.43 |
|
|
Grass – topping |
47.57 |
19.25 |
62.73 |
|
Grass – mowing |
38.23 |
15.47 |
|
|
Grass – tedding |
23.39 |
9.47 |
|
|
Grass – raking |
24.18 |
9.78 |
|
|
Forage harvesting only |
83.34 |
33.73 |
|
|
Forage harvesting – whole crop, three trailers and clamping |
208.33 |
84.11 |
|
|
Silage – complete service (mow, rake, forage harvest, cart and clamp; three trailers) |
191.25 |
77.40 |
|
|
Forage harvesting – maize (three trailers and clamping) |
212.38 |
85.95 |
|
|
Extra trailer for silage |
|
7.25 |
61.06 |
|
Forage wagon |
|
|
131.20 |
|
Baling* |
£/bale |
|
|
|
Small conventional |
1.13 |
|
|
|
80x90cm |
4.66 |
|
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|
120×70cm |
5.89 |
|
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|
120x90cm |
7.13 |
|
|
|
120×130cm |
8.09 |
|
|
|
Round 1.2m |
4.11 |
|
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Round 1.5m |
4.69 |
|
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* These prices may vary with bale density |
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Wrapping |
£/bale |
|
|
|
Round 1.2m (six layers) |
7.12 |
|
|
|
Round 1.2m (four layers) |
6.17 |
|
|
|
Square 80x90cm (six layers) |
7.25 |
|
|
|
Square 120x70cm (six layers) |
8.83 |
|
|
|
Square 120x70cm (four layers) |
9.58 |
|
|
|
Combi baling and wrapping (six layers) |
9.50 |
|
|
|
Bale chasing |
3.11 |
|
|
|
Mobile feed |
£/t |
|
|
|
Milling/mixing |
27.33 |
|
|
|
Crimping |
14.75 |
|
|
|
Tractor hire (including driver) |
|
|
£/hour |
|
100-150hp |
|
|
50.33 |
|
150-220hp |
|
|
57.80 |
|
220-300hp |
|
|
69.79 |
|
300hp+ |
|
|
91.60 |
|
Additional charge for trailer |
|
|
12.81 |
|
Forklift/telehandler |
|
|
54.89 |
|
Tractor and post knocker |
|
|
55 |
|
Ditching – 180deg digger |
|
|
46.17 |
|
Ditching – 360deg digger |
|
|
52.34 |
|
Drain jetting |
|
|
60 |
|
Sheep shearing and husbandry |
£ a head |
|
|
|
Shearing – ewe |
1.81 |
|
|
|
Shearing – ram |
3.70 |
|
|
|
Crutching |
0.78 |
|
|
|
Sheep dipping *There may be an additional charge for used dip removal |
1.50 |
|
|
|
Hedgecutting |
|
|
£/hour |
|
Hedgecutting – flail |
|
|
53.53 |
|
Hedgecutting – saw blade |
|
|
68.94 |
|
Hedging and fencing (with materials) |
£/m |
|
|
|
Hedge laying |
17.10 |
|
|
|
360 excavator (7.5t) and tree shear |
|
|
80.16 |
|
Verge bank mowing |
|
|
56.71 |
|
Fence erection – post and four barb |
8.04 |
|
|
|
Fence erection – post, stock net and two barb |
11.02 |
|
|
|
Fence erection – post and three rails |
25.13 |
|
|
|
Specialist |
|
|
£/hour |
|
Snow clearing |
|
|
71.80 |
|
Labour only |
|
|
19.94 |
|
Chainsaw and operator |
|
|
35.27 |
