Big differences in quality. This is an important theme in the forage trade. Straw, silage maize and a little grass silage... all kinds of things pass by, but according to the trade it is sometimes puzzling who fits what. That is also reflected in the prices this week.
The maize continues to grow well and this means there is more supply of silage maize from the past harvest. Some livestock farmers see that they are doing well with corn and some leftovers and now want to quickly take advantage of the relatively high prices. You have to pay attention, experienced traders, because there are sometimes fewer parties among them. Giveaway prices for good corn are not yet an issue. The DCA Indicative Price for good maize is €110 per tonne. If you are in a favorable position in terms of transport, €5 can be deducted from this.
From good to bad
From golden yellow dry-pressed straw to pitch black with 20% moisture or more and everything in between. The variation in straw is great this season. This does not make it easy to provide a fair representation of the market. Customers who really want top quality will soon have to expect a price of €125 or more. A bull fattener or goat farmer who just wants good, dry straw and does not care about the color can do business from approximately €105 per tonne. The DCA Indicative Price for wheat straw this week amounts to €115 per tonne. Most traders charge €5 more for barley straw.
By-products remain in high demand. Although the corn is probably not early this year, there is already reasonable information about products for covering. And this while the supply of potato by-products is not available due to, among other things, the later start of the harvest and below-average field yields. Feed potatoes are hardly available and the DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €60 per tonne. Beer spent grain is in high demand and a waiting period of more than a week is no exception. The DCA Indication Price has risen this week to €3,90 per percent dry matter.
Little trade in grass
There is little trade in hay. Good grass seed hay is scarce and farmers and traders who have grass seed hay in their sheds are in no hurry to sell. The DCA Indicative Price nevertheless remains the same as last week at €150 per tonne. It is also quiet in meadow hay. Other years you still have some supply from the field around this time, but apart from the last month it is not really hay weather, to say the least. The DCA Indicative Price for meadow hay is €190 per tonne. No hay weather means that a little more silage is pressed. Rolls of autumn grass are especially available, according to traders. However, that is not the grass on which the cows or goats actually produce milk. The supply of grass silage loose from the riding pit remains limited. The DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €100 per tonne delivered to the farmer, excluding shovel.