The IFA has agreed a straw price with Monaghan Mushrooms for the 2019 harvest.

The price is in excess of €85/t for wheaten straw delivered, and will put a firm base on the straw market.

IFA grain chair Mark Browne said negotiations for a parallel deal with Walsh Mushrooms are progressing.

He called on livestock farmers to make sure to quickly place their orders for straw.

“With the nutrient and organic matter value of straw, and the rising cost of P and K, grain farmers will be chopping straw unless they have deals in place,” he warned.

This year’s harvest

The straw harvest this year is expected to total about 1.2m tonnes, or somewhere between 6.3m to 7m 4x4 round bales, across barley, wheat and oats.