Grain-selling strategies in a tough market
2-MINUTE READ
With prices under pressure, many arable farmers are facing difficult decisions when it comes to grain marketing. Low prices don’t mean you have to stop selling – but they do mean you need to sell smarter.
It can be tempting to sit tight and wait for the market to recover, but indefinite holding carries its own risks. Instead, there are key tools you can use to decide when and how to sell your grain.
Price Offer Ranges on Recent Listings
It pays to shop around
When the market is low, getting the best possible price for your crop is more important than ever. Every extra pound per tonne adds up, especially across hundreds of tonnes.
Even when a merchant has given you a good price in the past, it’s always worth listing your crop to see which buyer gives you the best price on the day.
On Hectare Trading, we show the gap between the highest and lowest offers received on each listing. Taking some of our recent listings, see how you can earn up to £13/t more for your grain by finding the best buyer on the day.
What’s more, on Hectare Trading you see all your offers in one place at the same time, with no phoning around to chase buyers. It’s a stress-free, transparent way to make sure you’re getting every last penny for your grain.
Check your regional basis
The Hectare Trading difference
On Hectare Trading you can compare local ex-farm spot prices with the latest futures prices. When you see the premium or discount local to you, relative to the futures price, you can identify potential selling opportunities.
How do the Hectare Trading spot prices in your region stack up against the futures? Typically spot prices run at a discount to futures but, at the time of writing, in the South we’re seeing a £9.15/t price advantage for selling feed wheat on Hectare Trading over the May 2025 futures contract, and even wider gaps across the rest of the country.
You can also look at our traded prices for post-harvest movement months alongside the equivalent futures contracts. Even when prices are low, you might be able to lock in a better price by selling part of your new crop forward.
Consider wider factors too, from weather patterns to geopolitical tension, and see how prices have moved over the recent period, be that the past month, three, six or 12 months. Don’t hold tight and hope for the best if the trends suggest prices have no reason to improve.
Sell smaller tonnages
Ultimately, what matters is maximising your average selling price over the harvest year while managing your risk. If you sell a small portion of your grain today, with a view to selling further portions later in the year, you spread your price risk over time.
You can protect yourself against becoming overexposed to any further market drops, while keeping some tonnage in hand to respond to market moves.
Don’t miss the next rally
Even in a low market, price spikes happen – often off the back of crop reports, weather events or global news. Make sure you set clear target prices so you’re ready to act when the right opportunity comes along.
Stay informed and remain flexible. A Hectare Trading account gives you free access to our powerful market insights, so you can see what other farmers are getting for their grain. Plus, all the latest market news from Farmers Weekly and the AHDB.
And when you’re ready to make your move, simply click to post a free listing.
Need help getting started? Book some time with the Hectare Trading team to show you our market insights and how to post your first crop listing