The bad weather conditions also have an effect on the feed market, for straw, maize and potato residual flows. Which are they?
The bad weather mainly affects the potato harvest. But given the favorable weather forecast, it is not obvious that the soaking wet autumn so far will also have consequences for the supply of potato waste.
Straw more expensive in storage
However, the price of straw in storage is rising faster than last year. This is due to the persistently wet weather. Not all straw in storage appears to be of good quality. That is why the Emmeloord market committee has increased the price of large bales of straw by €5 to €10 to €85 to €100 per 1.000 kilos.
The price of wheat starch has also risen slightly. However, it is not clear whether this is the result of the grain harvest and the quality of the grain on offer. The price increase, which is not expected to continue, may also be the result of the production process in the factories and/or adjustments to the supply contracts that the grain processing industry has to deal with.
Demand for by-products lower
In dairy farming, the demand for by-products is not yet as high as last year, when there was extra demand for by-products in the south of the Netherlands (due to the failed corn harvest). Beer spent grain receives extra attention in publicity because the milk fat is better appreciated. In addition, cheese producer Cono has the use of rumen resistant fats forbidden.
Although the dairy industry has not yet adopted this ban, the use of protected fats in dairy cattle rations has come to be seen in a bad light. Optimizing by-products to increase the milk fat percentage and the kilos of fat is an alternative, although the effect can never be as great as when using rumen-resistant fat.
Too much fat in the dairy cattle ration, which is not protected, disrupts rumen function. According to Wageningen University, the limit is 6% to 7% of the total ration. If the percentage of crude fat is higher, it is counterproductive.