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The highest VEM yield per hectare
Fodder beet has returned to the Dutch cattle ration in the pursuit of more feed value from our own country. The tasty fresh beets increase the feed intake and energy density of the ration and thus contribute to the feed balance and animal health.
Over the past six years, a growing group of livestock farmers fodder beets included in the ration. The acreage increased from 400 to 3.000 hectares. With yields of 15 to more than 22 tons of dry matter per hectare, many companies can already grow fodder beets with a few hectares of arable land to feed fresh in the winter months. Collaboration with arable farmers is also interesting if available, as the cultivation is very similar to that of sugar beet.
Higher components, lower feed costs
When fodder beets fit in terms of construction plan and labour, they provide benefits on both sides. On the one hand, the tasty fresh beets increase the feed intake in the winter months, so that the cattle remain in better condition and the levels in the milk rise. At six months of feeding, one hundred dairy cows quickly provide €8.000 extra milk money. On the other hand, savings on feed purchases are possible. A successful fodder beet cultivation yields 20 tons of dry matter feed with more than 1.100 VEM per kg ds, at a cultivation cost of around € 1.800 excluding land costs.
Real fodder beets
For the best nutritional value, storage and feed quality, it is wise to choose real fodder beet varieties such as Rialto, Caribou and Tarine.
Would you like to know more about fodder beets?
You can read all the information about this crop in our white paper about fodder beets. From cultivation and harvest to storage, nutritional value and the experiences of dairy farmers who have been feeding fodder beets for years.
