ONE of the longest, coldest winters on record, coupled with a late and indeed harsh spring has led to an unprecedented demand for grass park lets.

Add to that last year's wet summer, poor harvest and the severe shortage of fodder, and record prices have been witnessed for the best grass available, with prices peaking at £410 per acre – up a massive £155 on the year.

"That's the dearest grass I've ever let and I've been conducting such sales for the last 40+ years," said Perthshire-based retired auctioneer, Pat Lawson.

"Farmers are desperate for keep when grass is so scarce this year and there has been a real shortage of forage all winter."

This year, Mr Lawson let 500 acres privately, which was down slightly on the year and compares to the 4500acres he used to let in the Angus area alone some 35 years ago.

He added that the £410 per acre bid came for a 25-acre five-year-old rotational ley in the Brechin area that was suitable for cattle grazing and silage and had previously received 3cwt of fertiliser. It was available from the beginning of April until November 11.

A neighbouring 23-acre one-year ley, which again had been fertilised made £405 per acre.

Mr Lawson said run of the mill grassland was being let at £180-£250 per acre which he said was up £25-£35 per acre on last year's values.

Dingwall and Highland Marts' also experienced their highest ever sales, with one park suitable for cattle grazing attracting a £300 per acre bid. Again, this field had been fertilised and was available from the beginning of April through until the end of October.

"We did have slightly less acres available for let this year due to the late spring, with some 765 acres let averaging £134 which is up £40-£50 on the year," said retired auctioneer Kenny MacKenzie.

"But, this figure includes some of the poorest ground at £5 per acre paid for a 60-acre hill ground in the middle of nowhere and other fertilised parks at £220 and £200 per acre. None of it was sold with entitlements."

Demand for grass has soared in Aberdeenshire too, with Aberdeen and Northern Marts' managing auctioneer, John Angus pointing out that livestock producers are desperate for grazing ground as their fodder supplies are bare with others needing extra ground for BPS and to meet the greening rule.

"We've just started our grass let sales with the first being up £40 per acre and the second £54. Prices paid all depend on the facilities, condition of the ground, whether its been fertilised and need for entitlements. Our first sale averaged £109 with the second at £117 with a top price of £218 per acre for a fertilised grass ley," said Mr Angus who added that the marts' main grass park lets are just about to come on the market.

With that, so too are the bigger cattle sales, which to date have sold similar on the year, but are expected to rise in value as grass appears.

"So far, store cattle have roughly been 10-20kg lighter on the year due to the bad winter and poor quality forage supplies but they have been making the same price as 12 months ago so values are expected to increase with the grass."

Daniel Johnstone, Lawrie and Symington's Forfar mart auctioneer and manager, was another to highlight the unprecedented demand for grass and the dearest he had sold to date at £245 per acre. This was up £120 per acre on the year and paid for an 18-acre 10-year-old unfertilised ley, while a 30-acre fertilised three-year-old ley made £165.

He also noted the shortage of grazing ground available for let: "I've still got people constantly looking for ground as the grass is just not there and more people are letting privately. There is such a shortage of grass in this area that many are not even looking to buy store cattle yet until they find grass, so I would expect the store trade to sharpen," said Mr Johnston.

Averages were also up on the year in the Stirling area, with Caledonian Marts' Aly Logan pointing out good unfertilised ground without entitlement was making £85-£100 per acre, while rough grazing sold with entitlement made £120. Overall, he said averages improved by £23.50 on the year.

Further south, Craig Wilson auctioneer, Drew Kennedy added that plainer ground for entitlements was up 30% on the year at £80 per acre paid for rough grazing while fertilised four-five year silage ground trading at £180 per acre in Ayrshire.

In contrast, the grass park lets at Newton Stewart, slipped marginally on the year, with 184 acres cashing in at £136.40 per acre, down £3.60. Top price was £266.66 with other lots at £160 and £148.65.

At Harrison and Hetherington's St Boswells centre, good grass parks with reasonable handling facilities and a stock person were the most sought after with the best parks up 68% although a third of this grass was eligible to BPS claims. Some smaller lets or rougher ground without handling facilities met a similar trade to recent years across the board.