The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is busy publicising its ‘Contracting Charges Guide’ for 2019, which encompasses a range of silage-cutting rates.

Interestingly, mowing (with a conditioner-equipped machine) is ‘guiding’ at €21/ac (excluding VAT) – up from €20/ac last year. Raking or tedding is coming in at €11/ac – up from €10/ac last year.

One of the headline figures is a ‘guide rate’ of €115/ac for harvesting (precision-chop) silage. That’s for the complete job – including mowing and pit work. It’s up marginally on the figure quoted in 2018, which stood at €110/ac.

A figure of €105/ac is being ‘guided’ for silage harvested with wagons (again including mowing and pit work). This is also up, albeit slightly, from €100/ac last year.

It’s worth noting that, aside, the FCI quotes a ‘guide rate’ of €55/hour for a 10t loading shovel (including fuel and the operator). The rate for a tractor is circa €45-55/hour.

All of the ‘guide rates’ referenced above are exclusive of VAT (13.5%). Of course, actual prices on the ground will vary – depending on any number of factors.

Meanwhile, the FCI has published a timely ‘Contractor Safety at Silage Time’ fact-sheet. It has advice for contractors and their farmer customers. It reads as follows: