The prices give a national average to help steer contractors and farmers. However, businesses are warned not to rely too heavily on these guide prices as it is important that contractors know their individual costs and are therefore clear what they need to charge to continue to run a viable business.

Annual machinery costs continue to climb, alongside tyres and labour, and it is vital that contracting prices reflect these increases.

Capital investment is now very significant on farms and, to manage cash-flow and depreciation, over 90% of farmers are bringing in the services of a contractor to take some of the investment burden for specialist, high capital cost machinery, alongside the need to bring in skilled labour which is in short supply.

However, contractors must carefully plan and cost their operations to try and ensure a profit margin so they can run a sustainable business. All costs such as downtime, insurance, depreciation, labour, machinery servicing and maintenance must be calculated to try and ensure customers are charged appropriately to maintain a viable business model.

Like every industry, there is fierce competition in the contracting sector which can result in prices being driven down but a successful business, with longevity, is one that costs its operations carefully and refuses to work for less than a realistic price. There is little point being a busy fool, working all hours for little benefit.

Contractors are advised to use the prices as a guide but take into account their own costs, and variations in the types of land, customer size, machinery and scale of the business to work out their charges.

NAAC CONTRACTING CHARGES SURVEY 2019

These are average prices surveyed from NAAC members, the actual price may vary considerably between regions, soil types, distance travelled, size of contract undertaken, size and type of equipment used, amount of product applied etc. The NAAC is also aware that many contractors are now making individual arrangements with their customers regarding diesel (eg. separate fuel surcharge, fuel used on-farm etc). The prices below do not reflect this market trend and such agreements may make a significant difference to contracting charges.

PRICES ARE BASED ON RED DIESEL AT 60ppl

Prices are intended as guide ONLY and are per area unless otherwise stated.

 

Per hectare

Per acre

Soil preparation /ha

    

Cultivations – heavy

57.64

23.34

Cultivations – light

38.11

15.43

Power harrowing

53.58

21.69

Ploughing

63.98

25.90

Rotovating

68.33

27.66

Subsoiling

59.58

24.12

Mole draining

88.17

35.70

Stubble raking

21.25

8.60

Disc harrowing

59.00

23.89

Stone/clod separation

200.00

80.97

Potato planting

99.00

40.08

Spring-tine cultivating

38.73

15.68

Rolling – flat

25.28

10.23

Rolling – ring

17.65

7.15

 

 

Drilling /ha

    

Cereal drilling – conventional

46.24

18.72

Cereal – Combi-drill

61.37

24.85

Cereals – direct

58.01

23.49

Cereals – Min till

51.93

21.02

Rape drilling – with subsoiler

67.14

27.18

Rape drilling – conventional

50.34

20.38

Grass seeding – harrow

29.67

12.01

Grass seeding – broadcast

24.10

9.76

Grass seeding – cross-slot

54.23

21.96

Sugar beet drilling

61.25

24.80

Maize drilling

47.70

19.31

Maize drilling – under plastic

134.00

54.25

 

 

Application /ha – unless otherwise stated

    

Fertiliser – granular

11.77

4.77

Fertiliser – variable rate

14.37

5.82

Fertiliser – liquid

13.02

5.27

Spraying – over 200lt/ha

13.65

5.53

Spraying – up to 200lt/ha

12.24

4.96

Slug pellet application

7.92

3.21

Avadex application

18.29

7.40

Lime spreading/tonne

7.06

  

ATV spraying /hour

40.71

  

Slurry – umbilical/m³

2.02

Slurry – injection/m³

2.33

Weed wiping/hr

46.48

Farm Yard Manure /hr

 

Rear discharge

52.80

  

Side discharge

56.00

  

 

 

Harvesting /ha – unless otherwise stated

    

Combining – cereals

90.50

36.64

Combining – OSR

90.31

36.56

Combing – peas/beans

94.89

38.42

Combining – maize

112.06

45.37

Swathing – OSR

47.43

19.20

Grass – mowing

29.63

12.00

Grass – topping

38.15

15.45

Grass – tedding

16.13

6.53

Grass – raking

16.72

6.77

Grass mowing/hr

46.92

  

Silage – full service

160.06

64.80

Maize harvesting – full service

178.90

72.43

Whole crop – full service

158.53

64.18

Forage wagon /hour

117.59

  

Potato harvesting

1000.00

404.86

Sugar beet – harvester only

237.50

96.15

 

Square baling /bale

  

Small conventional – straw/hay

0.73

  

Rectangular – 120 x 90

5.57

  

Round baling /bale

    

120cm – straw

3.27

  

120cm – hay

3.13

  

Wrapping /bale

    

120cm (6 layers)

6.22

  

120cm (without plastic)

2.66

  

120 x 90 (6layers)

7.62

  

120 x 90 (without plastic)

3.48

  
   

Hedge cutting /hour

    

Flail

40.29

  

Saw blade

50.58

  

Verge bank mowing

48.88

 

 

Tractor Hire including driver/hour

    

100 – 150hp

37.38

  

151 – 220hp

41.49

  

221 – 300hp

54.67

  

300hp plus

71.43

  

Telehandler

43.52

  

Ditching 360° digger

43.89

  

Mini digger

35.73

Tractor, post knocker + labour

41.50

  

Tractor, trailer 12/14t + driver

48.83

  

 

 

Sheep shearing /head

    

Ewes

1.65

  

Rams

3.10

  

Crutching

0.70

  

Sheep dipping

1.20

 

 

Livestock husbandry /hour

    

Sheep

16.00

  

Cattle

20.00

  

 

 

Feed /tonne

    

Mobile feed milling/mixing

19.00

  

Crimping

11.25

  

Specialist services/hour

Snow ploughing

57.11

Labour only

19.02