Irish farmers can earn from scrap metal: prices vary by type and buyer
Data gathered by Irish farming news site Agriland shows scrap metal on farms can fetch €60 to €170 per tonne, depending on the type of scrap and the scrapyard. Many yards offer free collection for larger quantities.
Agriland, an Irish agricultural news site, has looked into how much farmers and contractors can get for scrap metal that has piled up on their holdings. With the autumn workload easing, many farmers turn to tidying their yards, where old ring-feeders, broken gates, rusty galvanised iron sheets, dead tractor batteries and even old cars tend to collect over time. Prices differ considerably between scrapyards.
Prices
The payout depends on the type of scrap. One scrapyard said old farm machinery can bring €150 to €170 per tonne, while modern round feeders and gates fetch only €100 to €120 per tonne. Overall, old agricultural steel can make between €100 and €170 per tonne.
Old cars are among the lowest-value scrap on farms, but parts such as catalytic converters and alloy wheels can raise their value significantly. Depending on the region, scrapyards offer €60 to €120 per tonne for old cars.
Collection
Most scrapyards are willing to waive the collection fee when a large amount of metal is involved. Some stress, however, that longer distances would be deducted from the final payment. The minimum for free collection ranges from 3 to 5 tonnes, while some yards simply require the lorry to leave full.
Some scrapyards give a quote based on a photo of the scrap, which can be sent free of charge via WhatsApp, while others visit the yard to value it. Both rigid and articulated lorries are available from some. Certain yards weigh their empty lorry at a local mill and again when loaded, giving the farmer a docket from the weighbridge.
Asked what advice they would give farmers, one scrapyard said it tries to be fair with everyone and explains how to segregate metals to get the most value.
