Inside: Feed market
Straw market clings to the last straw
It gets more exciting every week in the straw trade. Prices popping up in mid-March are approaching a point that almost no one anticipated. What are the last straws for the straw market? There is also more action in the by-products and silage.
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Choose the subscription that suits youThe developments in straw once again dominate the feed trade. Demand exceeds supply in the Netherlands, Germany and England. Livestock farmers still prefer wheat straw, but this cannot prevent barley straw prices from rising as well.
In mid-March, the price of wheat straw increases, reaching €140 to €150 per tonne free on the farm. However, this is not the highest point, because that is €160 per tonne free from farm. There is still some straw available in the Netherlands, but then one should think about a price of €125 to €130 per tonne ex-farm.
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Escape to Spain
In France, the supply is becoming scarcer, which means that more and more people have to move to Spain. At the same time, the trade has to deal with a livestock farmer who is deterred by the higher prices; yet there is not much choice. If you want to be supplied with straw until the new harvest, you have to pay higher prices. The pluses now also translate into price increases for meadow hay (€180 to €190 per tonne) and Engels Raai will also increase slightly to €135 per tonne.
Another product that is transported more often is grass silage. This mainly goes from the north of the Netherlands to the south. The warmer weather made farmers with full silage slabs a bit nervous, but the predicted frost gives some peace of mind. If silage is removed, it will be at a low price of €1 per percent dry matter.
Price of by-products falls
Demand remains mainly for by-products, such as feed potatoes. That price remains around €22,50 to €27. Bierbostel is burdened by a large supply, as a result of which the price drops to € 1,85 to € 2,10 per percent dry matter. The same applies to potato products.
The expansions in potato processing result in more supply. What does not help is the fact that the size of the livestock is no longer growing. The fact that livestock farmers are slowly switching to dry raw materials does not help either. Apart from the structural products, the prices of the other products are under pressure.
The price of straw has risen sharply in recent years.
The 5-year average is much lower than the current price level.