Silage 2026

transporting the quantity of wrap would be an issue also. Fusion making 300-500 bales a day needing to carry 10-20 rolls

We are gone modern train them with new robotic technology. They are on the triple mower by the time they are 8

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No its 5 layers is it has a Kuhn baler wrapper I think, he can set it to individual layers whatever he has

Exactly, I shiver when lads tell me they have their own plastic. Even if they have everything perfect with all new rolls it still slows down the job.

Let’s say you go to a lad that’ll have 70 bales and he has 4 full brand new rolls in the field waiting for you. After 60 bales you’ve to get out and change the 2 rolls, then 10 bales later get back out and take off the 2 rolls you put on at 60 bales and give them back to him. Then drive to the next farm and get out and out on their 2 rolls. Thats 2 extra roll changes at minimum 5-10 mins per change, never mind the time the farmer expects you to stand chatting him when you’re giving him back his rolls at the end of the job because he has his baled now so doesn’t give a **** about delaying you or the 10 men you still have to bale for before the rain comes that evening!

You’d have had 10-15 bales already made in the second farm if you’re supplying plastic quicker than you’d have the first bale made in the second farm in the scenario above. Add that up over 8 or 10 jobs in a day and then add in the wasted time with small rolls from last year or when you’re left an uneven number of rolls or left waiting for the rolls to be brought to you because they weren’t in the field before you got there and you’re talking 150-200 bales less being made in a long days work because of pricking around with plastic.

I’ve a few lads that’ll buy say 10 rolls of plastic at the start of the year and leave them in my yard. We know a roll does 30 bales so that’s 300 bales worth. I then just bale away as normal all year as if that was my own plastic and there’s no changing rolls at their jobs or anything. At the end of the year if they’ve made 400 bales they pay me for the extra plastic for the last 100 bales, if they ended up only making 200 bales then I knock the price of the plastic for the 100 bales less off their bill as I’ve used their plastic elsewhere on another job that I got paid for. It’s a better system altogether as long as the farmer buys the same brand of plastic as the contractor always uses.

As you say he is not in it a massive way. Supplying plastic is probably adding 70% to your cashflow. As I pointed out my contractor probably used 6k in plastic in two days. If he was supplying plastic he would need it in his yard probably three weeks ago. Payment would be due the end of June or 1% per month would be added. He has probably 6k+ bales made so far this year, 25k in plastic costs would be due the end of June. Balers hold 8-10 rolls, he would need someone coming to him with plastic 2-3 time a day with plastic or go back to his yard 3-10 miles away.

Any time he would be within a mile of the yard he be shooting back to put on rolls of plastic. As well all packaging and empty rolls are left at the farmers yard.

A bigger contractor bill means the farmer expects a bigger discount on the bill next September. I supply Silawrap, he warns lads about shite plastic and if they fail to heed it he will allow for it in his charges.

He told me cashflow was an issue this year, some dairy farmers that would be normally payi g out the gate wanted a few week to await the milk cheque.

The discount they would get would be minimal, I buy Sila wrap, another contractor I onow buys 2-3 pallets at the start of the year. There would be little difference in the price admittedly I pay up front for it.

Other than that its the difference in vat but that equates to about 60-70c/ bale.