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With local supplies stretched to the limit, Northern Ireland hauliers are importing English straw but their stocks are dwindling and supplies are becoming difficult to source.
“I have one other load of straw in England and after that I don’t know where I’m going,” said Co Derry-based Robert Miller. Growers in the Norfolk area where he normally buys are not able to supply his orders.
“The guys have their own buyers in Scotland, and their straw supply is down 40% because of the dry weather they had in June,” Robert said.
He is quoting £90 to £100 (€101 to €112) for 8x4x4 bales of English straw, while he says 8x4x3 bales from Spain are selling for £125 (€140.61).
“Dairy farmers just have to get it, but suckler farmers are resisting,” he said.
In Co Antrim, another haulier said straw was scarce in England. He is selling 8x4x4 English bales for £75 to £85 (€84 to €95.60), with straw from NI £10 (€11.25) cheaper.
He recently got 600 bales from the south of Ireland and wants to buy more from Britain, but says this is now “very hard”.
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