New silage maize does not seem to be popular with livestock farmers yet. This is somewhat striking, because in other years new maize was sold relatively quickly. Trading in other products is also calm, so that most prices remain on the same footing.
Last week we wrote that the first new corn appeared on the market, but it now appears that livestock farmers are not yet interested in purchasing this. This is causing traders some concern as the weather currently plays a major role. Due to the warm weather, the corn ripens quickly and the hectare yields in the south of the country are not very good. It is striking that there is slightly more interest in purchasing in North Brabant compared to the north and center of the country.
The first quotation for the new silage maize harvest is €55 per tonne, delivered to the farm, with a price range of €50 to €60 per tonne (or €1,50 to €1,60 per percent dry matter). This year, quality seems to be even more important than in previous years, traders say. The price, on the other hand, seems to be in line with previous years. Last year, the switch to the new harvest was made in week 39 and the quotation also stood at €55 per tonne.
Meadow hay slightly down, silage slightly up
The price of meadow hay will drop slightly this week: -€10 to €180 per tonne. The price of this product is very dependent on the quality and last week's quotation of €190 is only paid for the highest quality. This means that there is less and less trading at that price, resulting in a decline. The price of straw (both wheat and barley straw) remains at €120 per tonne free at the farm, in a relatively quiet market.
The price of silage grass has actually taken a step upwards this week, in a long time. The price increases by €5 to €65 per tonne free at farm. The price increase is mainly due to the fact that the top of the price range has risen to €70. The price for spent grains remains stable this week at €2,60 per percent dry matter, in a quiet market. It remains to be seen how the market will develop in the near future, because breweries are usually a bit quieter during this period of the year. Perennial ryegrass remains stable at €120 per tonne.
Quiet market
If we look at the markets for red fescue, tall fescue, meadow meadow and feed potatoes, the majority of forage traders say that it is quiet at the moment. Supply and demand are in balance, so prices do not move. Red fescue is trading at €140 per tonne this week, tall fescue remains at €130 per tonne, meadow meadow is selling for €115 per tonne and feed potatoes are still trading at €40 per tonne.