There is sufficient demand for good roughage and by-products, but the supply is not enough. Prices are therefore at a high level. A short-term turnaround is not yet foreseen by various insiders.
The milk price may have passed its peak, but even at current prices it remains interesting for livestock farmers to milk as much as possible. And according to several insiders, this is clearly noticeable in the feed trade. Everything that the cows give up well is requested.
Demand is shifting in the by-product trade. The campaign products such as potato press fibers and beet pulp are heading towards the end of the season and livestock farmers are looking for products that are also available after that period. There was no oversupply of such products, such as steam peels or spent grains, and now that demand is picking up, waiting times are slowly but surely increasing, several traders warn. The DCA Indicative Price for spent grain nevertheless remains the same as last week at €4,05 per percent dry matter. Feed potatoes have been difficult to obtain all season and that has not changed this week. The DCA Indicative Price is €50 per tonne.
Quality is sought after
There is quite a bit of demand for silage maize, several forage traders report. There are major differences in the quality and therefore also in the price of the corn. For good maize, the DCA Indication Price remains at €100 per tonne. There is a lot of interest in good silage grass, but there is hardly any supply. "You have to have a farmer who stops otherwise it is almost impossible to get hold of it," said a trader. Because there are few transactions and because the quality of what is traded varies considerably, it is difficult to arrive at a price. The DCA Indicative Price for silage has been increased to €90 per tonne for silage delivered loose on the plate.
Trade in hay and straw continues quietly. It is not really busy at most traders, but something is always missing. The DCA Indicative Price for both wheat and barley straw is €140 per tonne and for meadow hay the price remains at €190 per tonne. Grass seed hay is in relatively high demand this season, especially if you compare it with last season. This is partly due to the relatively high straw price, but the good quality of the grass seed hay this year also contributes to the healthy demand. The DCA Indicative Price for grass seed hay ranges from €145 to €155 per tonne depending on the variety.