Current silage costs, yield trends, and profitability insights for Irish livestock farmers
Growing and feeding silage is capital and labour intensive. Diesel prices, plastic wrap costs and contractor charges have lifted bale costs by roughly 2–3% year-on-year. Improving the dry matter yield per acre through reseeding, soil testing and optimal fertiliser timing can offset some of this pressure. Locking in contractor rates early and shopping around for wrap helps manage costs.
Many Irish livestock farmers are now comparing the return on silage acres with alternative crops such as maize or hemp. Hemp offers a set contract price, a short growing window, and lower labour requirements, making it a useful buffer against volatile forage costs. Assess your land base: if silage remains necessary for winter feed, consider allocating some marginal ground to hemp or another break crop to diversify income.
This analysis is based on Farmers Journal market reports, FCI contracting charges for 2025/26 and Teagasc advisory notes. Local prices vary; check with your contractor and neighbours for current rates.
High diesel, plastic wrap and labour costs pushed baled silage prices up through 2025. Heading into January 2026, average round bales are trading around €38 and many contractors report profit margins under pressure. Understanding your forage cost per bale and per tonne of dry matter helps plan winter feed budgets and decide whether to devote acres to grass, maize or hemp.
Monthly average silage bale costs in Ireland
Silage remains essential for winter feed, but the profit margins have tightened significantly with rising input costs. While necessary for herd maintenance, many farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the labor and expense purely from a financial perspective.
Hemp offers livestock farmers a complementary income stream with lower input costs and labor requirements compared to silage production. Many farmers use hemp to diversify income, reduce reliance on expensive feed production, and generate cash flow during tight periods. Hemp's short growing season (100-120 days) makes it ideal for integration with livestock operations.
Absolutely! Most of our partner farmers maintain their silage production while allocating some land to hemp. Hemp requires minimal daily attention compared to silage, making it an excellent diversification option. The same equipment can often be used for both crops with minor adjustments.
The key advantages are price certainty (contracted purchase prices), lower labor intensity, and dramatically reduced input costs. While silage requires continuous investment in fertilizer, diesel, and contractor fees, hemp has one-time planting and harvest costs with predictable returns. Hemp also improves soil health for future silage crops.
You spend your summer watching weather forecasts and hoping conditions align perfectly for silage. Contractors are in high demand, diesel prices fluctuate wildly, and your best land endures heavy machinery traffic. After all this effort, you're left with bales in the yard, a stack of bills, and minimal profit margin.
Your valuable time? Consumed by the silage process. Your operating capital? Invested in inputs and contractor fees. While your livestock will be fed through winter, the financial return barely covers costs, and unpredictable weather can devastate your entire season's work.
Hemp offers a different approach. One planting, one harvest, no diesel-guzzling machinery beyond initial and final operations. Use the same fields, focus on your livestock, and return in autumn to a guaranteed buyer and payment. Less stress, more financial security, and an opportunity to transform your farm's economic model.
