Costs of growing maize for silage

In 2017, maize cost in the region of £1300/ha (£550/acre) to grow, including a rental value of £370/ha (£150/acre)*.

Example costings

Table 1. Example costings for maize silage and maize silage under degradable film, compared to grazed grass and grass silage

	Grazed grass (ten-year ley)	Grass silage Three cuts (seven-year ley)	Maize silage	Maize silage (degradable film)
Yield of fresh matter (t/ha)	58	50	43	53
Typical dry matter content of crop (%)	18	25	30	30
Yield of dry matter (t/ha)	10.4	12.5	12.9	15.9
Establishment costs (£/ha)
Ploughing	63	63	63	63
Cultivations	90	90	90	90
Sowing	30	30	45	45
Seed	135	130	175	175
Lime	120	120	30	30
Fertiliser¹	52	52	180	180
Sprays	26	26	65	65
Fertiliser applications	12	12	24	24
Spraying	14	14	28	28
Additional cost of degradable film				320
Total	54²	77²	700	1,020
Additional annual costs (£/ha)
Fertiliser¹	150	307	0	0
Sprays	10	10	0	0
Fertiliser applications	72	72	0	0
Spray applications	14	14	0	0
Harvest and sheets etc.	0	420	170	170
Rent (£/ha)	370	370	370	370
Total annual cost £ per ha (£/acre)	670 (271)	1,269 (514)	1,240 (502)	1,560 (631)
Cost per tonne of DM (£)	64	102	96	98

¹ Purchased fertiliser price assumptions: N=55p/kg, K=61p/kg.

²Total establishment costs divided by ley duration.

*Figures produced by John Morgan, Creedy Associates. Fertiliser costs provided by Mole Valley Farmers.

To order a hard copy of the Growing and feeding maize for better returns manual, please contact publications@ahdb.org.uk or call 0247 799 0069.

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Beef & Lamb Beef Lamb Grassland Management Dairy

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maize Silage livestock cattle sheep harvesting growing