EARLY-BALED STRAW is outstripping the price of grain as supplies of bright, small bale barley straw hit £78/t last week (w/e Aug 27).

Auctioneer Alan Lane, of Chelford-based Frank R Marshall, who sold the record entry of 7.5t, forecast straw to be worth more than grain this autumn, but didn‘t expect his prediction to be achieved in August.

Company records suggest immediate post-harvest prices have not been as high for many years.

Values normally peak around the year-end with the most recent being £108/t in winter 2001 after a very wet harvest.

Graham Lawman, president of the Hay and Straw Merchants Association, said: “Quality will generally be poor this year.”
 
Supplies could also be short as more growers were expected to chop straw behind the combine in anticipation of difficult autumn cultivation, he said.