The picture on the roughage market remains calm this week. Last week's frost has presented some logistical challenges, but there have been no major problems. There are still some concerns about the limited supply of roughage.
Prices in livestock farming will not last for a long time. Livestock farmers are currently keen on liquidity. Several forage traders say they notice that. There is quite a bit of trade being done, but farmers are not doing more than necessary at the moment. The relatively high commodity prices seem to reinforce this sentiment.
Good demand for silage grass
There is a healthy demand for good silage grass. The offer is still limited. As the grazing season gets closer, various traders expect that more silage will become available. Nevertheless, the overall picture remains that there is not an excessive supply of good quality silage or that it will not become available in the (short) term. The price will therefore remain stable this week at €70 per tonne.
Grass seed hay and straw remain at the same level this week as last week. Wheat and barley straw both cost €140 per tonne. Grass seed hay is trading at €150 per tonne this week. There is relatively little trade in this. It is striking that Engelsraai has been as expensive as, for example, Rietzwenk or Roodzwenk for a number of weeks. Usually anglais is cheaper. The limited supply of grass seed hay seems to play a role in this.
Maize is trading at €70 per ton this week. Also here there is not much trade at the moment, mainly due to limited availability. Brewer's grain costs an average of € 2,90 per percent dry matter this week. The price of this has therefore been at a relatively high level for a long time. Feed potatoes are trading at €40 per ton, but they are hard to come by at the moment.