Inside Feed
High-quality food remains at the price
There is not much trade in roughage at the moment. Several traders report trading is a bit more difficult than it was a few weeks ago. The most necessary food is bought, but no more than that. Especially now that the weather is better and the grass finally seems to be growing.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
The current relatively high prices of roughage and the fact that a number of livestock farmers are somewhat short of cash does not really help turnover. Good quality roughage is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain according to various forage traders. This means that there will be no major changes in prices.
Straw remains in demand
Demand for straw remains reasonably good for this time of year. It's been a little less than a month, but certainly not bad. The supply of straw is gradually starting to decrease, also in Germany and France. The price remains stable at €145 per tonne for wheat straw.
Most traders are currently not trading much in grass seed hay. Several traders have run out of their own stocks. Additional purchases are possible, but with current prices of around €150 per tonne, many livestock farmers prefer (hammered) straw for extra structure in the ration. Pasture hay is currently mainly sold to private horse owners and riding schools. Livestock farmers are hardly in the market for hay at the moment. The DCA indicative price remains stable at €200 per tonne.
Few feed potatoes
Feed potatoes remain difficult to obtain. There is simply much less supply than last year when the price of chip potatoes collapsed due to the corona outbreak. Livestock farmers also find prices above €40 per tonne to be on the high side, according to several traders.
The demand for by-products - in particular potato by-products such as steam peels and chips - remains good. Beer spent grain is becoming more available on the market, according to some traders. This has a slightly downward effect on prices. Beer spent grain is €0,05 lower this week at €2,65 per percent dry matter.
Good silage grass remains expensive
There is not much trade in silage at the moment. Good silage grass is not widely available and buyers quickly find it too expensive. In addition, many livestock farmers hope to switch to fresh grass within a few weeks. What is purchased is generally only to bridge this short period. As in recent weeks, good silage grass suitable for dairy cattle continues to cost an average of €70 per tonne.
There is also not much trade in silage maize at the moment. As with silage grass, many livestock farmers find the price too high. The silage maize quotation is the same as last week at €70 per tonne.