Plan ahead to secure straw supply
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has launched a new web page to help livestock producers plan ahead and secure straw supplies.
The page provides information for producers on sourcing straw and managing storage to reduce waste.
BPEX environment manager Nigel Penlington says: “The key points for all livestock producers are, firstly, to plan their straw or bedding sourcing early, secondly, to take a professional approach to secure a mutually beneficial deal and thirdly, to ensure straw storage and usage is as efficient as possible.”
The web page provides guidance on negotiating ‘muck for straw’ agreements to help producers secure straw supplies, as well as information on reducing waste and financial losses during storage.
“If you are paying £70 a tonne, yet wasting a fifth due to moisture in the top and bottom bales of straw stacks, then you are actually paying £84 a tonne.”
It also looks at the options for arable growers, with information from the HGCA on the profit potential from selling straw for livestock bedding or energy production, rather than incorporating it into the soil.
There are many different factors driving decision-making about straw, both for cereal growers and livestock producers, and this web resource centre provides all the information in one place.
Visit the web page
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