Moderate growing conditions for grass and maize make livestock farmers cautious about selling roughage, even though demand is there for the same reason. There is therefore a diligent search for alternative additions to the ration, but these are not widely available.
The winter barley harvest is well underway and several forage traders have now delivered the necessary loads of barley straw. Compared to last week, the DCA Indicative Price is under some pressure, but at €115 per tonne, barley straw remains quite expensive. There is less trade in wheat straw at the moment. There we still have to wait a while until the harvest really starts. The DCA Indicative Price for wheat straw from the 2022 harvest remains stable at €145 per tonne. The price for wheat straw is expected to drop by a few tens of euros in the coming weeks, but a deep dip around the harvest is not expected. If the price drops too far or we experience a period of changeable weather around the wheat harvest, the forage harvester under the combine could become arable farming's answer, several insiders warn.
Grass seed hay is gradually coming onto the market. It's still a bit early. The market has yet to develop, but some traders report that livestock farmers are inquiring about grass seed hay. Here too, a lot will depend on the weather during the harvest. If the quality is disappointing due to rain during the harvest, demand could simply dry up again. The DCA Indicative Price for grass seed hay is €145 per tonne. It should be noted that English raai is hardly available anymore.
Corn is hard to get
There is only limited trade in silage grass and meadow hay. There is a demand, especially for silage grass, but there is hardly any supply. And when something becomes available, it often goes directly from farmer to farmer, with or without the mediation of a local contractor. The DCA Indicative Price for grass silage remains stable at €105 per tonne and for meadow hay at €180 per tonne. There is sufficient demand for silage maize, but obtaining supply is sometimes quite an art, according to forage traders. The DCA Indicative Price for corn has increased to €115 per tonne.
Due to the relatively high prices for roughage, there is relatively much interest in by-products. In combination with feed straw, some farmers try to save on grass and corn. However, livestock farmers who are looking for bargains will be disappointed. The supply of by-products is also limited. Potato products in particular are scarce due to the relatively early long summer break of the processing industry. Feed potatoes are no longer available at all. Beer spent grain is better available, but calling today and delivering tomorrow is not an option. A waiting period of one and a half or two weeks is not surprising. The price of spent grain nevertheless remains unchanged at €3,80 per percent dry matter.