Inside Feed
Grazing season feels far away on the feed market
The trade in roughage is not yet picking up. The gloomy weather almost seems to create a depressed mood. Due to the predicted autumn-like weather, the new grazing season still feels far away. Last week the sun shone and the mood among farmers and traders was much more optimistic. The forage trade continues to run well, albeit at a low ebb.
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Several traders indicate that there is little supply. The demand is not exaggerated either. That balances each other out quite well. Not all roughage is sold immediately, but it does not take long to find a buyer.
Little turnover
There was not much trading in silage this week. Livestock farmers are somewhat cautious due to the relatively high price. In addition, there is simply little good silage available. Lower quality silage is more widely available, but there is not much demand for it. There seem to be few farmers who actually run out of stock before the end of the season. These are normally the buyers of the lesser grass. The price of silage grass remains unchanged this week at €70 per tonne for good stuff.
There is currently quite a demand for silage maize, but here too the supply is limited. The price of good silage maize is around €70 per tonne. As in recent weeks, spent beer is trading at around €2,90 per percent dry matter. The demand remains good. This is only expected to change when the cows go outside and the ration has to be adjusted accordingly.
Very little trade in feed potatoes
Feed potatoes are difficult to obtain at the moment. Several traders note that they have not sold feed potatoes for several weeks. The quotation this week is €45 per tonne.
Hay and straw remain popular. Wheat straw costs an average of around €145 per tonne. Barley straw is about €5 cheaper. Supplies are tight for both wheat and barley straw. Beautiful meadow hay is often imported from abroad by various traders. Southern Germany is especially popular. Good meadow hay is difficult to find in the Netherlands. The prices of good meadow hay vary considerably and for good stuff range from approximately €180 to €220 per tonne. Grass seed hay costs approximately €150 per tonne. That price has also been stable for a long time.