With the exception of emergency situations, where the roughage storage still has to be cleared, there is virtually no trade in grass silage anymore. What about feed prices? Subscribe to the answer to that question.
If no attention is paid, the grass harvest will soon cost more than it yields. Especially when it comes to autumn grass, which was harvested in large quantities in recent weeks. Unlike last year, a lot of grass is still growing this autumn, and the quality is not bad. Although the regional differences are large due to local flooding.
Derogation of influence
The cause of the worthless meadow grass is known, namely the derogation. In addition, the percentage of permanent grassland (in the requirement) has been increased from 75% to 80%. This year, meadow grass has become completely worthless in the second half of the growing season, because demand has fallen sharply. This was due to the reduction in the livestock population. Since the cut has been made in the young cattle herd, this will be no different next year.
The livestock category, which has to eat the lower quality, has also been thinned out. It can be concluded from this that things must be structurally different if meadow grass is also to gain value in the second part of the grazing season. But it is just like with heifers for export: the farmer does not sell the best heifers. He wants to keep it for himself. This is also how it works with meadow grass.
Fertilization is the solution
The most obvious solution has to do with fertilization. More manure for corn and less for grass. But this is actually discouraged by Wageningen University. Not only because this increases the risk of nitrate leaching, but also because they see more prospects in replacing crude protein in concentrates with home-grown protein.
The surplus of grass is related to a shortage of manure storage capacity. If liquid manure was only spread before the first cut, grass growth would decline much faster in the second half. A lot of manure is still spread in the second part of the growing season, because there is no storage capacity available. Ensiling grass year after year, which costs more than it yields, apparently does not outweigh investing in manure storage.
Derogation off the table?
If the derogation is removed, the problem is also solved. This leads to bigger problems, such as manure disposal costs that are skyrocketing. But now that the price of phosphate rights is rising so explosively, the question remains whether the remedy (maintaining the derogation and therefore extra fertilizer space) is not worse than the disease.
A solution for the surplus of meadow grass in the second part of the growing season would be to reduce the percentage of permanent grassland. Then there will be less worthless grass left on the yard. This is also mineral loss!
It sounds contradictory, but reducing the mandatory percentage of grassland also reduces CO2 emissions. Per kilo of product, silage maize cultivation has a lower CO2 footprint than grass, says scientist and manager Zwier van der Vegte, environmental pilot company De Marke.