Round bales of straw are currently averaging between €25 and €35 a bale out of the field.

While demand is strong across the country, it is particularly strong in the west where prices of €45 and €55 are being paid for bales to be delivered.

The Irish Farmers Journal spoke to a tillage farmer from Bagenalstown in Co Carlow who advertised round bales of 4x4 straw at €25/bale on Tuesday morning. He had 70ac of spring barley straw to sell and within an hour of advertising it, he had it sold.

Inflated prices

“Straw is making €40/bale in some places, but I wouldn’t like to do that to anybody.

“While things can be slightly inflated, they can be over-inflated too. It’s not going to make or break me, and some farmers need it more than I do.

“It’s crazy the prices being paid, I’m a livestock man myself and I’ve put my foot in that same shoe looking for straw. Things are overly inflated across the board and as soon as that all stops the better. We need to press the reset button,” he said.

The Bagenalstown farmer was scathing of dealers or traders inflating straw prices and charging as much as €55/bale to deliver it. “There’s no way would I give €55/bale for straw that’s going to be dung later,” he said.

A Sligo-based trader said that he would deliver Wexford straw to north Tipperary for €55/bale. “That’s what it’s making and I’m getting €95/bale for big square bales too,” he said.

Meanwhile, small square bales are making between €3 and €4 from the field, depending on demand in the area which is usually driven by equine interest.