The final stages of the corn harvest are the heaviest. Fortunately, the vast majority of the silage maize has arrived. It is mainly the permanent work in the roughage trade that makes the market tick. With by-products it is quite a challenge for suppliers to keep customers satisfied.
The vast majority of corn has been chopped, but it is still quite an effort to harvest the last plots. Some are giving it another try with tracked dumpers, while others are hoping that it will freeze again and the corn can be threshed as grain corn. Trade in silage maize is limited to a single plot that has been harvested. The DCA Indicative Price for fresh silage maize remains the same as last week at €80 per tonne.
In by-products, traders have to compromise between supply and demand. Potato pressed fibers are relatively readily available, but the supply of pressed pulp is lagging behind. Given the wet conditions for the beet harvest, this does not come as a complete surprise. Feed traders are also in the dark about when and how much pressed pulp will become available. Beer spent grain remains in high demand and most suppliers have a (limited) waiting time. The DCA Indicative Price this week is €4,10 per percent dry matter. According to some foragers, feed potatoes are slightly more available, but you have to be careful not to be fobbed off with junk. These are potatoes that have been wriggled out of the mud at all costs and that you can't actually do anything with. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes remains stable at €50 per tonne.
Regular customers
The permanent work continues in straw. Major differences in quality continue to characterize the current market. Arable farmers are stuck in the saddle and are in no hurry to sell straw. Availability of cheap transport is a challenge for transport from France, according to forage traders. The DCA Indicative Price for both wheat and barley straw is €135 per tonne.
There is little trade in meadow hay in silage. Good grass yields last summer and autumn and a moderate milk price put a brake on the purchasing desire of livestock farmers. The DCA Indicative Price for silage grass is €100 per tonne and for meadow hay at €190 per tonne. There is demand for good grass seed hay, but there is little supply. The DCA Indicative Price nevertheless remains stable at €165 per tonne. There is hardly any distinction between race, it is more a matter of what is available.