It really doesn't want to be spring. When the sun finally breaks through and the weather becomes more friendly, rain soon follows. This is also noticeable in the roughage market. The shortage continues and demand remains relatively high for this time of year.
The grass is growing steadily and in several places there is already quite a large cut. Not surprising that last week a few people could no longer control themselves and already drove the first new grass into the hole. However, most livestock farmers still have to wait. It is still too wet, so to speak, to chase the cows into the meadow and a period of permanent dry weather is not in the reports. Of course it is only the end of April, but most livestock farmers want to start cutting holes at the beginning of May.
The supply of silage remains tight, while demand remains intact with the uncertain weather forecast. Really good silage is hard to come by and what comes on the market is a bit of a bargain. The DCA Indicative Price for silage grass remains the same as last week at €115 per tonne delivered loose in the slot silo ex shovel, but there is a lot of variation in the prices. If you are less critical of the quality, you can still succeed for less than €100. For top grass in foil bales, the prices are slightly higher than the indicative price.
Fixed mood
The market for by-products remains fixed. The long delivery times of a few weeks ago have now almost been eliminated, but demand remains at such a level that prices are not likely to drop much. Here too, suppliers are already taking a cautious look at the new season. Beets are sown late and there are few potatoes in the ground. This affects the availability of, for example, potato steam peels or beet pulp towards the end of summer and beginning of autumn. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes is €60 per tonne, with the comment that there is little available. Beer spent grain remains the same as last week at €4 per percent dry matter.
Partly due to the limited supply of grass and the high prices of by-products, there is a relatively high demand for silage maize. The DCA Indicative Price therefore remains unchanged at €115 per tonne. The trade in hay and straw continues to grow steadily and is simply good for this time of year. The DCA Indicative Prices remain unchanged at €145 per tonne for both wheat and barley straw and €190 for meadow hay. For grass seed hay, prices range from €145 to €155 per tonne depending on the variety. "The back of the shed is visible again," said a trader; by which he means that the supply of grass seed hay is dwindling quickly. That in itself is also normal for this time.