This week, the Irish Farmers Journal carried out a price survey for common fencing materials.
The figures have been produced as an average from the quotes given from merchants and co-operatives. Prices can vary depending on quality and, as shown in Table 1, can also vary by region.
Discounts are available from merchants for bulk buying of wooden posts and items such as gap handles and insulators. Remember, quality can have a big bearing on the lifespan of a fencing job. Cutting corners now to save some money may end up costing you more in the future.
Sheep farmers should note there is TAMS II grant aid available for sheep fencing and gateways.
For lowland areas, sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire costs €5.34/linear metre on the Department’s reference cost list. For mountain sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire, the Department has a reference costing of €8.01/linear metre. A gateway is costed at €299 per gateway. More information is available on www.farmersjournal.ie or the Department of Agriculture website.
Prices
Table 1 shows the average prices of some common fencing materials.
The most expensive pack of 10 pigtail posts was in the south at €22. However, there was very little variation in prices, with most selling from €20 to €21 for a 10-pack.
Well-known brand names demand higher prices, which is the case with most fencing items.
The average retail price for a Clipex steel post ranges from €6.90 to €10.90 for the bigger posts. Steel posts provide an alternative to timber posts for farmers. Manufacturers claim they have a much longer lifespan.
The variance in prices for white fencing tape was largely down to quality, with heavier tapes costing more, but a variation of €3 to €4 can be seen from the south and west with tapes of the same standard.
The figures were calculated on a standard 200m roll, with the highest in the midlands at €18.69 and the lowest in the south at €12.50 per roll.
Gap handles ranged from €1.92 to €8/handle. Once again, a heavier gap handle with a familiar brand demanded a higher price. Packs of five gap handles are ranging from €8 to €11 in the majority of the merchant stores.
Prices for creosoted straining posts vary depending on thickness. Light 2.1m posts are ranging from €10 to €11/post, with heavier posts costing up to €19. Longer 2.4m light posts cost €12 to €13/post.
Table 1 shows that 5ft tanalised posts are averaging €2.71/post, with creosote stakes costing up to €2 to €3 more.
A 5kg box of staples ranges from €15.45 in the south to €17.00 in the midlands area.
A roll of 200m barbed wire ranges from €47 in the south to €54 in the midlands. From our survey, a 100m roll of high-tensile sheep wire has an average price of €144.40.
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