Straw values up £20/t with strong sales at auction
© Tim Scrivener Increased buyer interest has led to both barley and wheat straw prices creeping up since last summer, with merchants paying about £20/t more on average than this time last year.
Big square bale barley straw ranged from £70/t in East Yorkshire and the South East to £100/t in the South West for the week ending 21 January, according to the British Hay and Straw Merchants’ Association (BHSMA).
Big square bale wheat straw ranged from £55/t to £85/t.
See also: Mixed signals for grain markets with feed wheat at £180/t
Hay prices have also been gradually increasing and big square hay bales stood at £75-£100/t.
Straw was reportedly very dear at a weekly produce sale on 15 January hosted by Cheshire-based auctioneers Ashley Waller, with good hay and haylage also sought after.
Square bale barley straw ranged from £126/t to £134/t, while wheat straw ranged from £102/t to £120/t.
In Gloucestershire, auctioneering firm Tayler and Fletcher said straw continued to remain firm.
About 4,000t was sold at auction on 12 January by the firm, with more than 50 buyers attending.
Winter wheat straw averaged £100/t for square bales, with a range of £72/t to £130/t.
Auctioneers said: “Once again, quality saw a premium, with the best and brightest winter barley straw achieving the strongest trade.
“Quality hay was fought over as supplies tighten, especially on seed hay, but meadow hay remained in lower demand with average quality struggling to find a home due to widespread availability.”
A number of online fodder auctions are scheduled to take place throughout January and February, with buyer interest expected to remain high.