Due to the rain of the past few days, the growing conditions for grass and maize have improved somewhat. However, this does not mean that demand will collapse. Good grass silage and silage maize is still sought after. And as the grain harvest gets underway, more straw is also used.
The wheat harvest in the Netherlands is slowly starting and with it Dutch straw is also coming onto the market. The peak in the straw harvest has yet to come, but several traders report that livestock farmers who want to stock up for winter are inquiring. Demand for straw is good, but arable farmers switch on the chopper quite easily, according to some insiders. The DCA Indicative Price for wheat straw averages €125 per tonne, but the price range is wide at the moment. For barley straw, the DCA Indicative Price is €5 above the price of wheat straw.
There is a lot of interest in grass seed hay according to forage traders. However, the offer does not last. This is partly due to a decline in the area, but there also seems to be slightly more livestock farmers buying directly, with or without the mediation of a contractor. And here too, the chopper is a popular option. Taking all varieties, the DCA Indicative Price amounts to €145 per tonne. There is also limited trade in meadow hay. "To make good hay you actually need a week of solid weather and that is lacking," said a trader. The DCA Indicative Price for meadow hay remains stable at €180 per tonne.
Buyers do want to, but there is a supply
The trade in silage maize is not making crazy leaps. It is not very busy at most forage traders, but it is not the case that nothing happens. The Indicative Price for good silage maize this week is €115 per tonne. Not much happens in silage grass. Buyers want it, but there is only a limited supply. Because there is little trade and also a great variety in what is done, it is difficult to determine a good indicative price. The DCA Indicative Price is €105 per ton delivered free of charge to the silo.
The range of solid by-products is quite variable. Potato by-products are difficult to obtain at the moment because the processing industry is in the summer break. There is also no trade in feed potatoes at all. The DCA Indicative Price is €60 per ton, but it should be noted that there is hardly any supply and that if something is available, it is a bit of what the crazy person will pay for it. Beer spent grain is a lot more available and the market here is reasonably balanced. The DCA Indicative Price for spent grain remains unchanged at €3,80 per percent dry matter. Liquid by-products, such as wheat yeast concentrate, can be an affordable alternative to solid products according to a supplier, but the buyer must be prepared for this and this is not yet common practice in dairy farming.