With by-products less dependent on the global market

The canceled grain deal will probably make compound feed more expensive in the future. In addition, the scarcity on the flax and sawdust market is still increasing. Turbulent conditions in the field of feed and bedding require smart choices, says Wichert van den Berg, director of Berg Fourage in Nunspeet.

''With a starch and sugar-rich by-product you can maintain milk levels at a stable, low feed price. Take, for example, organic fodder beets or pressed pulp. If you ensilage or submerge that, you can move forward for the time being and you are less dependent on the uncertain world market.”

From Dutch soil = more stable price level
Because many by-products for livestock farming come from Dutch soil, the price level is generally more stable. ''You simply know where you stand and the results are easy to calculate. Organic fodder beets, for example, their effect on fat and protein contents in milk is very convincing. And because as an organic livestock farmer you often simply have fewer options, you are certainly in the right place with this'', says Van den Berg. Berg Fourage supplies organic fodder beets until December 2022.

Milk Floating Base
The milk-floating effect of (organic) fodder beets naturally also applies to the well-known pressed pulp. This residual flow is released during the extraction of sugar from sugar beets and can form a very stable basis in a dairy cattle ration. ''It is very clean, has a high nutritional value and is easily digestible'', sums up Van den Berg. When properly ensiled, pressed pulp can be kept for up to a year.

Robisco pallets as VEM booster
New in the list are the so-called Robiscopelles. This is a pelleted residual flow from Dutch bakeries. ''This was already used as a raw material in compound feed, but we can now also supply it directly at a stable price. It is a good VEM booster and works well as a 'bait food', for example, because it is very tasty. Ideal to take advantage of the high milk price right now.”

Flax alternative answer to scarcity
Unfortunately, the Russian impact on livestock farming goes beyond the feed market. For example, rising gas prices are a major driver of pellet heating. Virtually all the sawdust is used to make wood pellets, which means that it is hardly available as stable bedding. “This trend is now also continuing in flax as an alternative energy fuel. The market is being bought out for the production of flax pellets and insulation material, which makes flax considerably more expensive,'' explains Van den Berg.

To cope with this shift, Berg Fourage developed an alternative bedding material that is very similar to flax. In terms of structure, it is comparable to flax, but a lot cheaper. We make an alternative flax from very finely chopped straw and we can also supply it, for example, as a ready-made mixture with lime or clay minerals. With a little common sense and practical solutions, we hope to give farmers a helping hand.”

Would you like to know more about market prices or advice?
Berg Fourage's Fourage specialists are happy to help you with available by-products and bedding variants. Call 0341-768222 or email sales@bergfourage.nl