Straw
Straw is the dry stalk of a cereal or oilseed crop left after threshing, principally wheat, barley, rice, oat, rye and rapeseed. It is a genuinely multi market commodity. Livestock operations buy it as bedding and as a bulk roughage and rumen filler in low energy rations. Mushroom growers use it as the base substrate. Horticulture uses it for mulch and erosion control. Industry buys it as a pulp furnish for paper and moulded fibre, as a particleboard and construction panel input, as a straw bale building material, and as a solid biofuel for heat and power. It is bulky relative to its value, so it moves in compressed bales and in densified pellet form.
Listed straw markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Straw is contracted on the cereal it came from, on physical form and on cleanliness. Where it is going into feed a nutritive analysis is added; where it is going into a boiler or a pulp mill a biofuel or fibre specification is added instead. Both are laboratory certificates drawn from a sampled lot.
Crop identity and physical condition
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cereal of originDeclared, by botanical name | Wheat, barley, rice, oat, rye, triticale or rapeseed. |
| Crop yearDeclared | The harvest year, recorded with the lot. |
| Colour and weatheringDeclared | Bright, weathered or rain damaged, recorded because it evidences the curing and storage history and because bedding buyers contract on it. |
| Chop or long formDeclared, with the nominal length | Long straw, chopped, shredded, ground or pelleted. |
| Grain and chaff residuePercentage by mass | Residual grain and chaff left after threshing, which matters for mushroom substrate and for combustion fouling. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Untreated, ammonia treated, alkali treated or steam treated, named where the straw has been upgraded for feeding. |
| AbsorbencyGrams of water per gram of straw | Measured on a conditioned sample. It is the term a bedding buyer actually cares about. |
Nutritive value measurement
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dry matterPercentage by mass | The basis for every other number on the certificate. |
| MoisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined under ISO 6496. It governs mould, self heating and pellet durability, and it is the term that decides whether a lot ships safely. |
| Crude proteinPercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 5983. Straw is a low protein material and the figure is reported rather than targeted. |
| Neutral detergent fibrePercentage of dry matter | Amylase treated, determined under ISO 16472. The dominant fraction. |
| Acid detergent fibrePercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 13906. |
| Acid detergent ligninPercentage of dry matter | The fraction that limits digestibility and that resists pulping. |
| Neutral detergent fibre digestibilityPercentage of neutral detergent fibre, at a stated incubation hour | Measured in vitro. It is what separates a feed straw from a bedding straw. |
| Crude ashPercentage of dry matter | Determined under ISO 5984. Rice straw is naturally high in silica and this shows up here. |
| SilicaPercentage of dry matter | Measured separately on rice and cereal straw. It depresses digestibility, abrades machinery and drives boiler slagging. |
| Nitrate contentMilligrams per kilogram of dry matter | Measured where the straw is being fed and the crop was heavily fertilised. |
Solid biofuel and fibre specification
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Net calorific valueMegajoules per kilogram, as received and on a dry basis | Determined by bomb calorimetry. |
| Ash contentPercentage by mass, dry basis, maximum | Determined by controlled incineration. The defining limitation of a straw fuel. |
| Ash melting behaviourDegrees Celsius, at the deformation, hemisphere and flow temperatures | Determined in a heating microscope. Straw ash melts low and slags readily, and this measurement predicts it. |
| ChlorinePercentage by mass, dry basis, maximum | The corrosion driver in a straw fired boiler and a hard contract limit. Field weathered straw carries less of it, which is why weathered lots command a fuel premium. |
| Potassium and alkali indexPercentage by mass, dry basis, and calculated | They govern slagging and fouling and they are contracted alongside chlorine. |
| Sulphur and nitrogenPercentage by mass, dry basis | They govern the emissions the plant must permit for. |
| Bulk densityKilograms per cubic metre | Determined in a standard container. |
| Mechanical durabilityPercentage, for pellets and briquettes | Determined by tumbling. |
| FinesPercentage by mass passing a stated sieve aperture | Measured after handling. |
| Fibre length and cellulose contentMillimetres, and percentage by mass on a dry basis | Contracted where the straw is a pulp or moulded fibre furnish rather than a fuel. |
| Pellet or briquette dimensionsMillimetres, diameter and length | Declared to the class named in the contract. |
Cleanliness, contamination and feed safety
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Foreign materialPercentage by mass, maximum | Soil, stone, wire, twine, plastic and any material that is not the named crop, separated by hand from a drawn sample and weighed. |
| Weed contentPercentage by mass, and declared by species where restricted | Undesirable plant material in the lot. Some destination markets prohibit named noxious species outright and the contract names them. |
| Mould and spoilagePercentage by mass, maximum | Visibly mouldy, heat damaged or spoiled material, weighed after separation. It is the defect that most often causes rejection at discharge. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum, by named toxin | Aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisin and ochratoxin A, determined by chromatography where the destination or the buyer specifies a limit. |
| Heat damage and caramelisationDeclared, with the acid detergent insoluble protein measurement | Heating in the stack binds protein and makes it unavailable to the animal. It is measured, not judged by smell. |
| Insects and live pestsZero tolerance where specified | Inspected before stuffing. A live find at discharge is a rejection, not a discount. |
| Soil and stonePercentage by mass, maximum | Picked up at raking and baling. It is measured as ash and separated by hand from a drawn sample. |
| Metal and tramp materialZero tolerance | Removed by magnet and inspection before densification. |
| Pesticide residueMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by named substance | Measured where the straw enters a feed, bedding or mushroom substrate chain, against the limits in force at the destination. |
Delivery, packing and certification
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PackingDeclared, with the bale or package format and the wrap | Field bales, double compressed bales, pressed and re-pressed bales, wrapped bales, bulk or pelleted, with the wrapping material named. |
| Container or vessel stowDeclared, with the loading method | Container stuffed weight, breakbulk stow or bulk vessel, with the target payload written into the contract. |
| Phytosanitary certificateCertificate, issued by the national plant protection organisation | Required by most destinations for plant origin feed. The certificate names the treatment applied and the pest freedom declared. |
| Fumigation or heat treatmentDeclared, with the certificate | Methyl bromide, phosphine, heat treatment or irradiation, named where the destination requires it. |
| Weight and sampling basisDeclared | Landed weight or shipped weight, with the survey house and the sampling protocol named in the contract. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | GMP+, organic, non genetically modified, or a private buyer feed safety standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Crop year and cutDeclared | The harvest year, and the cut number where the crop is taken more than once in a season. |
| Bale formatDeclared, with the nominal dimensions | Small square, large square, round, double compressed or mini bale. |
| CompressionDeclared | Whether the bale has been re-pressed for container loading, which changes both the density and the handling at discharge. |
| Fire retardant treatmentDeclared, with the product and the application rate | Applied to compressed straw moving in containers or in bulk where the destination or the insurer requires it. |
| Mushroom substrate declarationDeclared | Straw contracted as a growing substrate carries separate cleanliness, treatment and residue terms and it is declared as such. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, the Intermountain West and the Great Plains | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Aragon, Catalonia, Navarre and Castile and Leon | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario | Origin and destination |
| Australia | New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia | Origin and destination |
| Italy | the Po valley, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto | Origin and destination |
| France | Champagne, Burgundy, Normandy and the southwest | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe and La Pampa | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State | Origin and destination |
| Sudan | the Nile valley and Gezira | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | the Nile delta and the reclaimed desert schemes | Origin and destination |
| Ukraine | the central and southern oblasts | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | the northern grain belt and the southern irrigated zone | Origin and destination |
| Turkey | Konya, Anatolia and the Aegean | Origin and destination |
| Romania | the Danube plain and Transylvania | Origin and destination |
| Poland | the central and eastern voivodeships | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Lower Saxony, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam, Vlissingen and the intensive dairy provinces | Destination |
| Ireland | the southern and midland dairy counties | Destination |
| United Kingdom | England, Wales and Scotland | Destination |
| Portugal | Alentejo, Ribatejo and the Azores | Destination |
| China | Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong, Ningxia and the coastal feed ports | Destination |
| Japan | Hokkaido, Tohoku and the Kanto and Kansai feed terminals | Destination |
| South Korea | Gyeonggi, Chungcheong and the Busan and Incheon feed terminals | Destination |
| Taiwan | the western dairy belt and Kaohsiung | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, Al Kharj, Qassim and the Jeddah and Dammam feed terminals | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain | Destination |
| Qatar | Doha and the Al Khor dairy zone | Destination |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City and the Sulaibiya farms | Destination |
| Oman | the Batinah coast and Salalah | Destination |
| Jordan | Amman and the Jordan valley | Destination |
| Israel | the coastal plain and the Negev | Destination |
| Vietnam | the Mekong delta, the central highlands and the northern dairy provinces | Destination |
| Indonesia | Java, Sumatra and the Lampung feed corridor | Destination |
| India | Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Punjab and Sindh | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Chihuahua, Sonora, La Laguna and Jalisco | Origin and destination |
| Chile | the central valley and Los Lagos | Destination |
| Brazil | Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Parana and Rio Grande do Sul | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | the central plain and the northeast | Destination |
| Morocco | the Gharb, Doukkala and Souss | Destination |
| Singapore | the trading and structuring desks that finance the feed trade | Trading and finance |
| Switzerland | the agricultural commodity trading houses in Geneva and Zug | Trading and finance |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the cereal is threshed and the straw baled at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is curing, compression, treatment, phytosanitary clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival Jan to DecPunjab and Sindh wheat straw after the spring harvest and rice straw in autumn, compressed for the Gulf trade. |
| India | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival Jan to DecRabi wheat straw in spring and kharif rice straw in autumn, baled and pelleted. |
| United States | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Jan to DecPacific Northwest and Great Plains cereal straw, compressed for export. |
| Canada | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Jan to DecPrairie wheat, barley and oat straw, shipped from stored inventory. |
| Ukraine | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Jan to DecWheat and rapeseed straw densified for the European fuel and bedding trades. |
| Poland | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Jan to DecCereal straw baled and pelleted for the regional heating and bedding markets. |
| Egypt | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jan to DecNile delta wheat and rice straw, compressed for the regional trade. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for straw. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1213.00 Cereal straw and husks, unprepared, whether or not chopped or pelletised
- PackingDouble compressed bales loaded into containers, or 1 t big bales for bulk trades. Moisture at bale is the clause that decides both mould claims and freight economics.
- Container loading20ft: 22 t to 26 t double compressed. 40ft high cube around 26 t. Uncompressed forage is volume limited long before weight and rarely pays the freight.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on analysis for crude protein, relative feed value, moisture and foreign material with a certificate at load port. GAFTA feed contracts where the trade is bulk, arbitration under GAFTA rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsPhytosanitary certification under Regulation 2016/2031 with weed seed and soil free declarations, fumigation or heat treatment for several destinations, EU feed hygiene under Regulation 183/2005 with undesirable substance limits under Directive 2002/32, and GMO controls where the crop has genetically modified varieties.
Common questions
What grades of straw does SIP Global trade?
We quote 48 published grades of straw, including Cereal of origin - Declared, by botanical name, Crop year - Declared, Colour and weathering - Declared, Chop or long form - Declared, with the nominal length, Grain and chaff residue - Percentage by mass and Treatment - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is straw graded?
Straw is contracted on the cereal it came from, on physical form and on cleanliness. Where it is going into feed a nutritive analysis is added; where it is going into a boiler or a pulp mill a biofuel or fibre specification is added instead. Both are laboratory certificates drawn from a sampled lot. Grading runs on 5 systems: Crop identity and physical condition, Nutritive value measurement, Solid biofuel and fibre specification, Cleanliness, contamination and feed safety and Delivery, packing and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade straw?
We trade straw in United States, Spain, Canada, Australia, Italy, France, Argentina and South Africa and 34 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is straw harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Pakistan: harvest apr to nov, arrival jan to dec; India: harvest mar to nov, arrival jan to dec; United States: harvest jun to sep, arrival jan to dec; Canada: harvest jul to sep, arrival jan to dec; Ukraine: harvest jul to sep, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for straw?
Straw is normally classified under HS 1213.00 (cereal straw and husks, unprepared, whether or not chopped or pelletised). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for straw?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed straw market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention phytosanitary measures
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.