The mood on the roughage market is difficult to gauge. On the one hand, the work of forage traders continues as usual. But on the other hand, livestock farmers are a bit more careful about how much they buy. Farmers are cautious about purchasing expensive feed that was not necessary after all.
As a livestock farmer you cannot do without feed, that's simple. But with the grazing season just around the corner, farmers do not want to buy more relatively expensive feed than is necessary to bridge the period until the cows go outside or the first cut is mowed. The wet and cold spring so far has thrown a spanner in the works for some livestock farmers and they now have to go to the market at the last minute to buy a few loads of silage or hay, for example. "We are having quite a bit of panic buying at the moment," according to a trader.
Little Silage Grass
Good silage grass is and remains a scarce commodity for the time being. Calling today and delivering tomorrow is not an option, according to several traders, although some livestock farmers think it works that way. "Some farmers who are very short on silage are a bit more flexible when it comes to quality and then we can often make adjustments," according to an insider. The DCA Indicative Price for good silage grass remains the same as last week at €110 per tonne. Sales of silage maize are bumping along a bit. It is not really busy at most traders, but something is always missing. The DCA Indicative Price for high-quality silage maize is €105 per tonne.
To balance
In the by-product trade, suppliers have to walk a tightrope. Demand is good and several suppliers complain that they still have to pay attention to keep all customers supplied. You would think there is no reason to adjust prices. But the raw materials market was in considerable flux last week and this often also affects the by-products market with some delay. In addition, livestock farmers are also carefully looking at the ration composition for the spring and the by-products must remain interesting in terms of price compared to the alternatives. Various suppliers are therefore carefully adjusting prices. The DCA Indicative Price for spent grain has taken a step back for the first time in a long time and this week amounts to €4,10 per percent dry matter. Feed potatoes will remain unchanged at €60 per tonne due to limited availability.
The straw trade remains fairly stable, but some traders note that it is not easy to buy a few more loads. Prices have been at a relatively high level so far and that is why arable farmers have already sold more straw than in other years, it seems. The DCA Indicative Price for both wheat and barley straw is €145 per tonne. According to some traders, livestock farmers who find it difficult to source are turning to beautiful meadow hay. This does not involve very large volumes, but a few traders report having completed a few more loads than expected. The DCA Indicative Price is €190 per tonne. There is not much trade in grass seed hay anymore. Prices remain stable at €145 to €155 per tonne depending on the variety.