Winter wheat and barley prices averaged £119.28 and £122.92 an acre, respectively, as regional auctioneers Halls sold nearly 4,000 acres of straw across Shropshire and the Welsh borderlands.

A series of four auctions were held at Acton Pigott Farm, Acton Piggott, near Shrewsbury, Acton, Bishops Castle, Montford Farm, Montford Bridge and Shrewsbury Auction Centre. The auctioneers were Halls consultant Peter Willcock and Jonny Dymond, Shrewsbury Auction Centre manager.

Overall averages per acre were: 2,313 of winter wheat £119.28, 409 acres of winter barley £122.92, 505 acres of oil seed rape £57.62, 156 acres of winter oats £86.74, 239 acres of spring oats £66.55 and 196 acres of spring barley £62.99.

“It was a very successful series of sales as there was very little straw left in store and a lot of the arable crops countrywide were affected by the very wet winter,” said Mr Willcock.

“Good crops achieved premium prices and the shortage of straw resulted in prices rising throughout the sale season.”

Mr Dymond added: “There was exceptional demand for wheat straw as dairy farmers are now feeding a lot of wheat in their rations which accounts for the high prices achieved at the sales. We are delighted that our farmers achieved high prices for their crops.”