In compacting straw and other fibrous material into blocks or briquettes the material is precompressed into a length L of compressed material before feeding to compacting apparatus for compacting the length into the blocks or briquettes.The compacting apparatus includes a pair of rotary members 10, 11 rotatable about relatively inclined axes 12, 13. A row of pockets 19, 20 extends around each rotary member and the pockets define spaces in which the material is received. The rotary members converge during rotation so that the material is compacted in the spaces.