Why have sisal baler twine prices skyrocketed this year??

oldfarmall · May 19, 2015

Hello-

Just wondering if everyone is seeing high prices on sisal baler twine? I live in Wisconsin. I just about fell over when I went to Fleet Farm the other day. The price of bale of 9000 sisal twine was over $56. Last year was around $34. Called my supplier from last year and he quoted me $72 per bale, last year was just over $40. This is almost $30 to double the price from last year. I take it there is a shortage? Anyone know how long it will last or what the issue is? Thanks!

-Jesse

Zachary Hoyt · May 19, 2015

I heard there was a drought and some kind of bug infestation in Brazil where it is grown. I do not know if this is true. I paid $58 at Tractor Supply today, way up from last year but I
haven't seen $34 in a number of years.
Zach

RodinNS · May 19, 2015

Perhaps that's the last boot you need to encourage you to switch to poly...

Rod

Dave H (MI) · May 19, 2015

Goes up every year. I just pass along the cost. Poly is death to livestock if they get wrapped in it. Cuts to the bone. I have seen some ugly wounds when poly got wrapped up on a leg, etc. Won't have it on the place.

jjamna · May 19, 2015

Will Poly work on and older square baler built for Sisal?

charlie n · May 19, 2015

Some people don't like poly, some don't like sisal, and some don't like wire. Everybody has their opinion and I respect that.

I've owned 3 balers in the last 16 years and all had sisal in'em when I got'em. Tried 110 poly and it didn't work. Switched to 130.Started having knots slip in a 269 so switched to 170 poly. Been using it in a 310 for the last 4 years and haven't had one problem. 170 is the same diameter as sisal.

The #1 rule with poly is make sure the knives are sharp. It is a little more aggressive on twine disc and needle eye wear. I try to buy it at the end of season. Paid 38.00 a box last year. We go thru 8-10 boxes a season. Good Luck.

old · May 19, 2015

That is a yes no or maybe. Depends on the baler. Some it will work just fine some you have the cahge bill hooks and some you have to do a few adjustments on

ArleninOr · May 19, 2015

Just bought 120 bales of 9600/170 knot strength. Cost me $35.00 a bale. Best price I could find. That is delivered to my door. Saw some on E-bay out of ma for $1200.00 for 50 bales of 7200/130 knot strength. Too far for me to have shipped.

RodinNS · May 20, 2015

Generally, yes. Worst case scenario if you've got something with bill hooks strictly made for sisal you may need to grind a relief in the fingers so they close tight instead of staying open 3/32". I've done that and had it work fine.
I now use 7200 poly that is just about as thick as 10000 sisal and a lot stronger. 9000 poly is not bad. 10000 is a bit thin for my liking and will break if you're making a heavy bale.
I've generally found sisal to be so inconsistent that it's hard to keep the baler tying correctly... the last pair I had got heaved in the woods.

Rod

oldfarmall · May 20, 2015

Thanks for all the replies! I have 2 IH mccormick 46 balers that I have tying excellent on sisal twine. We bale about 4-5000 bales per year now. Really don't want to mess with the knotters to make them work on plastic if I don't have to. However, I do have 3 bales of sisal from last year yet, so that will get me through most of 1st crop hay and 1 in the baler. Guess I may have to bite the bullet. Thanks

-Jesse

(quoted from post at 18:00:41 05/19/15) Hello-

Just wondering if everyone is seeing high prices on sisal baler twine? I live in Wisconsin. I just about fell over when I went to Fleet Farm the other day. The price of bale of 9000 sisal twine was over $56. Last year was around $34. Called my supplier from last year and he quoted me $72 per bale, last year was just over $40. This is almost $30 to double the price from last year. I take it there is a shortage? Anyone know how long it will last or what the issue is? Thanks!

-Jesse

Bret4207 · May 20, 2015

The cost is going to be a combination of the fact there's less demand for sisal these days, of shipping and storage, of manufacture, of dealer mark up and the value of the purposely devalued US dollar on the world market. IMO it's not great loss since I can't find consistent sisal in my area. The old NH twine was fine, the new stuff I see is junk.

I use poly, I don't leave it laying around on purpose and have no issues with livestock getting caught in it or machinery having problems with it.

Dick2 · May 20, 2015

Somebody has to pay the outrageous salaries that the CEO's are getting now. Guess the board of directors never thought of the fact that CEO's are just overhead; they produce no products, so why should they be compensated so much?

You are paying to make CEO's and top managers rich. Prices would be considerably less if they were paid a more reasonable salary.

DeltaRed · May 20, 2015

I havent seen any sisal here in years. Dont think any suppliers even sell it.

dhermesc · May 20, 2015

Yeah because the presidents of the sisal twine companies (or is there only one?) are the modern day robber barons.......

Charlie M · May 20, 2015

There was something on here last fall about sisal. I believe there are only a couple of suppliers and something happened to one of them - maybe a fire or something, can't remember. Haven't heard anything else only we knew the price was going up when it happened last fall.

ET · May 20, 2015

The value of the american dollar is high on the world market right now. I just saw this morning an americn dollar is worth $1.22 canadian. They said this summer would be cheap to travel out of country.

TomH in PA · May 20, 2015

I don't know how much sisal company CEO's earn. Could you post a link to your information?

rrlund · May 20, 2015

It's time for somebody to invent a machine that will string old twine back together and put it back in a ball with no knots.

farmerwithmutt · May 20, 2015

They used to grow it here in wisc and if I remember correctly they
processing was done at Cobb wi. It was called hemp but now they call
it something besides that but unfortunately the growing time isn't
long enough to give it much kick but it sure would be fun to burn
those twine strings

JayinNY · May 20, 2015

I agree you buy the twine get the Baler Notting then you cut the twine and throw it away what a waste. Or the mice chewed the twine in the hay mow!

jf · May 21, 2015

I use the used twine to bur in my bee smoker. Works good - and cheaper than the smoker fuel.

Agman101 · May 21, 2015

One family controls most of Brazilian sisal production. head of family dies last year, those left are fighting for control, supply drops price goes up

Bret4207 · May 22, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:08:39 05/20/15) The value of the american dollar is high on the world market right now. I just saw this morning an americn dollar is worth $1.22 canadian. They said this summer would be cheap to travel out of country.

That is despite the deliberate devaluation of the dollar. The US is not the only nation with obscene debt issues. Had a more realistic and conservative spending and borrowing policy been implemented years back the dollar might well be worth twice what it is today or more. $18 Trillion in debt really does matter.

Why have sisal baler twine prices skyrocketed this year??

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