NAAC contractor price guide 2026-27
© Tim Scrivener Farm contracting prices have increased by an average of 4.84% in the past year, according to the latest survey by the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC).
Its yearly round-up of members’ charge rates, which provides a useful benchmark for farmers and contractors, reflects continued inflationary pressure and rising employment costs.
See also: Contractor Comment: Staffs firm is fuelled up and ready for action
Though the pace of change has slowed from the 5.7% posted in 2025, it’s important to note that the figures don’t account for the current drama in the Middle East and are based on red diesel at a fanciful 70p/litre.
Therefore, farmers should bear in mind the prospect of a fuel surcharge while it exceeds that mark, which could add significant cost to some services.
Prices quoted are an average of those supplied by respondents across the UK. Given regional variations, the NAAC emphasises the importance of contractors calculating their own costs to ensure they are covering overheads.
Members of the organisation can use its online tool, developed by consultancy firm the Anderson Centre, to help determine realistic charge rates.
NAAC contracting prices survey 2026 |
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|
Soil preparation |
£/ha
|
£/acre
|
£/hour
|
|
Ploughing – light land |
80.02 |
32.38 |
|
|
Ploughing – heavy land |
87.82 |
35.54 |
|
|
Extra for furrow press on plough |
11.53 |
4.67 |
|
|
Deep ploughing (over 30cm) |
103.72 |
41.98 |
|
|
Rotavating (ploughed land/grass) |
102.34 |
41.42 |
|
|
Subsoiling |
81.86 |
33.13 |
|
|
Mole ploughing – single leg |
109.58 |
44.35 |
|
|
Mole ploughing – twin leg |
120.15 |
48.63 |
|
|
Stubble raking |
29.74 |
12.03 |
|
|
Disc harrowing |
64.31 |
26.03 |
|
|
Power harrowing – shallow |
71.41 |
28.90 |
|
|
Power harrowing – deep |
81.87 |
33.13 |
|
|
Spring-tine harrowing |
47.43 |
19.19 |
|
|
Pressing (Rexius Twin/Cultipress or similar) |
61.15 |
24.75 |
|
|
One-pass tillage train |
83.66 |
33.86 |
|
|
Rolling – flat |
35.19 |
14.25 |
|
|
Rolling – ring |
27.70 |
11.21 |
|
|
Bed tilling |
303 |
122.62 |
|
|
Chain harrowing |
34.06 |
13.78 |
|
|
Inter-row hoeing (camera guided) |
54.36 |
22 |
|
|
Drilling |
£/ha |
£/acre |
£/hour |
|
Cereals – conventional |
67.11 |
27.16 |
|
|
Cereals – combination drill |
86.13 |
34.86 |
|
|
Cereals – direct |
77.69 |
31.44 |
|
|
Oilseed rape – subsoiler |
96.74 |
39.15 |
|
|
Sugar beet |
75.67 |
30.62 |
|
|
Potato planting |
248.55 |
100.59 |
|
|
Carrot/parsnip/onion – precision |
98.84 |
40 |
|
|
Maize – precision |
60.48 |
24.47 |
|
|
Maize – under plastic |
163.08 |
66 |
|
|
Grass seed – broadcast |
35.93 |
14.55 |
|
|
Grass seed – harrow |
51.35 |
20.78 |
|
|
Grass seed – cross drilling (per pass) |
69.57 |
28.15 |
|
|
Application |
£/ha |
£/acre |
£/hour |
|
Fertiliser – granular |
16.25 |
6.57 |
|
|
Fertiliser – extra for variable rate |
7 |
2.83 |
|
|
Fertiliser – liquid |
16.85 |
6.82 |
|
|
Fertiliser – drone |
45 |
18.21 |
|
|
Spraying – arable |
16.97 |
6.87 |
|
|
Spraying – grassland |
25.79 |
10.44 |
|
|
ATV spraying |
|
|
54.60 |
|
Slug pelleting |
11.42 |
4.62 |
|
|
Avadex |
19.83 |
8.03 |
|
|
Weed wiping |
|
|
75 |
|
|
£/t |
|
|
|
Lime – spreading only |
7.47 |
|
|
|
Muck and slurry |
£/t |
£/cu m |
£/hour |
|
Farmyard manure (FYM) – tractor and rear-discharge spreader |
3.96 |
|
72.27 |
|
FYM – tractor and side-discharge spreader |
5 |
|
72.27 |
|
Loading and spreading chicken litter |
6.31 |
|
|
|
Loading and spreading FYM and compost |
3.80 |
|
|
|
Loading and spreading digestate fibre |
4.94 |
|
|
|
Loading shovel |
|
|
73.90 |
|
Slurry – tanker and trailing shoe or dribble bar |
|
|
75.75 |
|
Slurry – umbilical |
|
2.27 |
145.25 |
|
Slurry – extra pump |
|
|
75.37 |
|
Slurry – separating service (with capacity of +\-100cu m/hour) |
|
|
145 |
|
Harvesting |
£/ha |
£/acre |
£/hour |
|
Combining – cereals |
122.25 |
49.47 |
|
|
Combining – extra for straw chopper |
12.79 |
5.17 |
|
|
Combining – OSR out of windrow |
128.15 |
51.86 |
|
|
Combining – OSR direct |
122.24 |
49.47 |
|
|
Swathing – OSR |
63 |
25.50 |
|
|
Combining – peas/beans |
126.42 |
51.16 |
|
|
Combining – grain maize |
162.24 |
65.66 |
|
|
Grain carting |
|
|
62.92 |
|
Flail topping potatoes |
90 |
36.42 |
|
|
Potatoes – harvesting only |
800.35 |
323.90 |
|
|
Potatoes – harvesting and carting |
1,235.48 |
500 |
|
|
Potatoes – destoning |
345.63 |
139.88 |
|
|
Sugar beet – harvesting only |
345.94 |
140 |
|
|
Topping/flail mowing |
52.65 |
21.31 |
|
|
Grass – topping |
48.14 |
19.48 |
68.85 |
|
Grass – mowing |
38.14 |
15.43 |
|
|
Grass – tedding |
23.89 |
9.67 |
|
|
Grass – raking |
24.45 |
9.89 |
|
|
Forage harvesting only |
84.16 |
34.06 |
345 |
|
Wholecrop harvesting – three trailers and clamping |
210.45 |
85.17 |
|
|
Grass harvesting – complete service (mow, rake, forage harvest, cart and clamp; three trailers) |
197.64 |
79.98 |
|
|
Maize harvesting – three trailers and clamping |
218.55 |
88.48 |
|
|
Extra trailer for silage |
|
|
63.58 |
|
Forage wagon |
|
|
135 |
|
Baling* |
£/bale |
|
|
|
Small conventional |
1.18 |
|
|
|
80x90cm |
4.80 |
|
|
|
120x70cm |
6.01 |
|
|
|
120x90cm |
7.52 |
|
|
|
120x130cm |
9 |
|
|
|
Round 1.2m |
4.27 |
|
|
|
Round 1.5m |
4.78 |
|
|
|
*Prices may vary with bale density |
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|
Wrapping |
|
|
|
|
Round 1.2m (six layers) |
7.33 |
|
|
|
Round 1.2m (four layers) |
6.33 |
|
|
|
Square 80x90cm (six layers) |
7.28 |
|
|
|
Square 120x70cm (six layers) |
8.90 |
|
|
|
Square 120x70cm (four layers) |
8 |
|
|
|
Square 120x90cm (six layers) |
8.57 |
|
|
|
Combi baling and wrapping (six layers) |
10.96 |
|
|
|
Bale chasing |
3.56 |
|
|
|
Mobile feed |
£/t |
|
|
|
Milling/mixing |
32 |
|
|
|
Crimping |
17.63 |
|
|
|
Straw grinding/processing |
21.20 |
|
149 |
|
Tractor hire (including driver) |
|
|
£/hour |
|
100-150hp |
|
|
51.98 |
|
150-220hp |
|
|
58.63 |
|
220-300hp |
|
|
70.50 |
|
300hp+ |
|
|
92.50 |
|
Additional charge for trailer |
|
|
15.85 |
|
Forklift/telehandler |
|
|
59.42 |
|
Tractor and post knocker |
|
|
57.66 |
|
Ditching – 180deg digger |
|
|
53.18 |
|
Ditching – 360deg digger |
|
|
57 |
|
Drain jetting |
|
|
74 |
|
Sheep shearing and husbandry |
£/head |
|
|
|
Shearing – ewe |
1.93 |
|
|
|
Shearing – ram |
3.87 |
|
|
|
Crutching |
0.90 |
|
|
|
Sheep dipping (there may be an additional charge for used dip removal) |
1.60 |
|
|
|
Hedging and fencing |
£/m |
|
£/hour |
|
Hedgecutting – flail |
|
|
56.07 |
|
Hedgecutting – saw blade |
|
|
74.29 |
|
Hedgecutting – reciprocating knife |
|
|
61.50 |
|
Hedge laying |
19 |
|
|
|
360 excavator (7.5t) and tree shear |
|
|
77.14 |
|
Verge bank mowing |
|
|
59.78 |
|
Fence erection – post and four barb |
10.65 |
|
|
|
Fence erection – post, stock net and two barb |
12.57 |
|
|
|
Fence erection – post and three rails |
27.17 |
|
|
|
Specialist |
|
|
£/hour |
|
Snow clearing |
|
|
82.25 |
|
Labour only |
|
|
21.07 |
|
Chainsaw with operator |
|
|
35.36 |
|
Soil sampling |
|
|
27.50 |
|
The survey results are based on red diesel at 70p/litre and do not include AdBlue. Contractors should add a fuel surcharge to reflect any rise in price beyond that mark, and any non-agricultural services will require the use of white diesel. Contractors may also have individual arrangements with customers regarding diesel (for example, separate fuel surcharge or fuel used on farm). The prices shown do not account for this market trend. The figures are intended as a guide only and are an average of the prices provided by NAAC members. The actual price may vary considerably depending on region, soil type, distance travelled, size of contract, type of equipment used, and amount of product applied. Operations involving a trailed machine include a tractor and operator. |
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