The roughage trade is a bit slow. In the corn trade, buyers keep a tight rein. There is more demand than supply for by-products, partly due to some glitches among suppliers. When it comes to straw, the large price differences are striking.
The corn trade is not yet at peak activity. Livestock farmers who want to buy more often find it too expensive. The corn is not yet ripe everywhere, so we can still wait. Sellers are therefore unwilling to compromise for the time being. The DCA Indicative Price for new silage maize delivered loose on the silage plate excluding shovel takes a small step back this week and amounts to €75 per tonne.
With the corn harvest in the initial phase, there is also a peak demand for covering products. The availability of, for example, potato press fiber or pressed pulp does not remain. The beet campaign only started last week and the start-up did not go completely smoothly. The availability of spent grains also does not last, according to various suppliers. This may become even more of a problem in the near future due to stops at some breweries. The DCA Indicative Price of spent grains this week is €3,90.
Potato prices may be under pressure, but this is not reflected in the supply of feed potatoes. "Everything that still resembles a potato goes to the industry," according to a trader. The DCA Indicative Price remains the same at €60 per ton, if you can get your hands on feed potatoes.
Quality makes the difference
Price differences remain large in straw. This is related to the large differences in quality and whether cheap transport is available. It is not really busy yet in the straw trade. It is still a bit too early for delivery from the shed and the stock that is on cleats outside is far gone. Beautiful white straw from France delivered to the South of the Netherlands costs approximately €140 per tonne. At the lower end of the market, some traders charge €125 for straw for the bulbs. The DCA Indicative Price is €130 per tonne for both wheat and barley straw.
There is not a lot of really nice meadow hay. It is also quiet on the demand side. It is mainly small horse owners who want meadow hay. The DCA Indication Price remains stable at €190 per tonne. Not much happens in grass seed hay either. Prices remain the same at €160 per tonne with hardly any distinction in breed.
In silage grass there is a clear distinction between autumn cuts and good grass from last spring. The DCA silage quotation is based on autumn grass and remains stable this week at €85 per tonne. For good grass from the first or second cut you have to add approximately €15. However, spring grass is difficult to obtain. You have to rely on farmers who stop, several traders indicate.