Straw demand outstrips hay at winter sales

Demand for big bale straw remains strong, but there appears to be less buying interest for hay, according to reports from two recent sales.

In the Cotswolds 3221 big wheat straw bales averaged £17.95 each, to a top of £24 at Tayler & Fletcher’s sale. Big bale barley straw averaged £24.26, to a top of £33, while meadow hay averaged £33 a bale.

Prices were down slightly on the firm’s November sale and Adrian Cannon said that while over 80% of straw was sold, less than half the hay on offer was cleared. “There seems to be plenty of hay around and people are thinking they’re not going to need as much as expected,” he said.

There was a similar picture at Alexanders of Huntingdon, where all the big bale straw was sold, at an average price of £18.66 each for 1300 wheat bales and £25.90 for 757 barley straw bales. Big bale meadow hay averaged £36 a bale.