What is being charged for pit and baled silage in 2017?
There is a diverse range of silage cutting prices being quoted by agricultural contractors around the country as ‘silage season’ gets underway in many areas.
Typical prices are between €90 and €100 per acre for pit silage (clamp silage), excluding VAT, while baled silage is showing wide variation depending on what you want done and whether or not the farmer supplies the plastic.
For bales, it stretches anywhere up to €12.00 for the full service of mowing, rowing, baling and wrapping with plastic included.
Beginning with the more northerly counties, a contractor in Cavan is currently pricing pit silage at between €90 and €100 plus VAT per acre. Bales are priced at €6.20-€6.30 plus VAT per bale for baling and wrapping, while plastic will also be supplied for a total of €9.00 per bale.
In Monaghan, a local contractor is quoting for mowing, rowing, baling and wrapping at €9.50 (plus VAT) per bale excluding plastic. With plastic supplied, the price is €11.50.
In Co. Galway, a baling contractor is quoting €12.00 all in – with plastic included.
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In Kildare, one contractor quoted a price of €100 including VAT per acre for pit silage. He also offers a hay baling service; he charges €4.00 per (round) bale for that (including VAT).
In Tipperary, a baling contractor is currently quoting €7.75 per bale for baling and wrapping, excluding VAT and excluding plastic.
Meanwhile, a Carlow contracting company has set a price of €95 plus VAT per acre for pit silage.
A sample Kilkenny contracting price received was €97 plus VAT per acre for pit silage. The same contractor charges €5.80 per bale plus VAT to row up and bale silage.
Finally, in Co. Clare, an operator using wagons is charging €115 per acre including VAT for pit silage. The same contractor is charging €10.00 per bale, including VAT, for mowing, rowing, baling and wrapping. Farmers must supply their own plastic.
