Prices at the first Carter Jonas hay and straw sale of the winter season were down for at least one Wiltshire farmer.

Bidders at the sale, at Newbury Rugby Club yesterday, were apparently reluctant to commit to hay and bedding straw because grass is still growing and ground conditions were still tolerable in many areas, delaying the move of livestock into yards and sheds.

Auctioneer John Read said the fact that winter had not got going, although much of the rest of Britain was hit by severe weather on the day of the sale, meant there was limited demand for hay for feed or straw for bedding.

“There are plentiful supplies of straw - especially barley straw as a lot of spring barley was planted following the poor autumn in 2012 and the kind harvest meant a lot was baled,” he said.

“As a result, trade was quiet and selective buying was generally the case.

"However, this could all change with some hard winter weather.”

Steve Miller, of Upton, near Andover, topped the trade for both barley and wheat straw with his BB940 bales achieving £15.63 per bale equating to £63 per tonne for both, £13 down for wheat straw and £17 for barley compared with top prices per tonne this time last year.

Good quality ley hay in big square bales sold to £95 per tonne, back from £110 per tonne last year.

The next sale Carter Jonas hay and straw sale will be at Newbury Rugby Club on January 23 at 2pm.