A tame demand on the roughage market, more trade in straw and a lively demand for by-products colored the mood in the feed market in the first week of March. Where better milk prices improve the mood, the LU scheme puts a brake on trade.
The fact that the LU scheme has been officially in place since the beginning of March is reflected in the slaughter figures and livestock prices. In week 9, the Livestock&Logistics quotations are in red for the second week in a row. While prices were adjusted downwards by 8 cents per kilo in week 10, prices had to lose 5 cents last week. The reason for all this is a wide supply of sausage cows, which forces slaughterhouses to increase slaughter capacity.
The increasing slaughter figures therefore offer little prospect of price commotion on the roughage market this spring. The demand for silage maize has seen little revival during the winter months and this week traders are also talking about lackluster demand, with business available from 58 euros per ton, free delivery. The fact that last year was a good growing season means that the roughage market is moving in calm waters across the board. In general, dairy farmers have plenty of corn and silage, which makes purchasing less urgent, especially now that the size of the livestock on many farms is decreasing.
Strangely enough, the straw market has little to fear from this lackluster mood. In general, enough transactions are made to keep going, as several traders describe the situation on the market. Prices start from 110 euros per tonne for wheat straw and 115 euros for barley straw. There is no reason to expect prices to move in the short term.
The demand for by-products is also not disappointing. Traders say that products such as spent grains, grain brush and potato chips are popular in rations on many dairy farms. The supply that is available on a weekly basis is therefore sold smoothly. Since beer manufacturers traditionally increase production in the spring, supply is expected to increase, so that availability is not jeopardized.
On the liquid feed market, bread flour, robiscope pellet sets and power fe are adjusted upwards by a quarter by Duynie. Wet bread increases by 20 cents, while hamino (clay, special and strong) increases by 5 cents. It is the wheat price on the Matif, which has been trading above 170 euros per tonne for a few weeks now, which has an upward effect on prices.