Cereal availability Page

The availability of cereal straw for thatch

There is an acute shortage of cereal straw for thatching as a consequence of the poor 2007 harvest. This situation will continue into the foreseeable future. Shortages apply to production right across Europe as well as to locally produced straw. Consequently, it is important that decisions about the usage of cereal straw for thatching are made with informed understanding. Therefore:

1. In considering planning applications for change of materials in listed buildings it is vital that conservation officers understand the seriousness of the situation and are flexible in their requirements.
2. For new thatched buildings, cereal straw should no longer be specified. There is already insufficient to maintain the existing thatched property stock.
3. Cereal straw should also be saved for re-ridging; the poor sedge harvest means that this too is in short supply as a ridging material.
4. All the 2006 harvested straw has already been used; the price has risen by at least 20% and will continue to rise in line with the increase in the cost of milling and feed wheat.
5. The solution is for conservation and planning officers to work with thatchers and owners to find viable alternatives.
6. Poor germination and a Europe wide shortage of seeds mean that the problem is set to continue into next year and beyond.

The Society has been concerned over recent years that the availability of home grown straw for thatching was going to become a problem as Maris Widgeon and Maris Huntsman, the only commercially available wheat varieties suitable for thatching, come off the National List and the seed can no longer be legally traded. This has now happened. The seed company RAGT is no longer maintaining these varieties and they will now be removed from the National List.

Triticale, a cross between wheat and rye, has been used in increasing quantity over the last thirty years. It has certain advantages for both the grower and the thatcher, being long-stemmed and more tolerant of marginal growing conditions. However, some advisers to local authorities have been making unwarranted and misleading claims relating to the suitability and durability of Triticale as a thatching material. This is unfortunate since English Heritage, in their guidance notes (1998 and 2000) made it clear that hybrids are acceptable and research by the National Society has demonstrated that the performance of Triticale on the roof is at least as good as wheat under comparable conditions. Since, from 2008 onwards, Triticale will possibly be the only source of locally grown thatching straw, Conservation Officers should recognise it as a cereal equivalent to wheat when used as a source of thatching straw.