The first cut of grass is now safely under the plastic and the fertilizer for the second cut is on top. Yet it remains a much-discussed topic. It just won't get dry. Last week there were a lot of showers in the South. Last night it was even more extreme in the North, resulting in flooded plots.
Not everyone has the same confidence in the corn for the coming harvest. Particularly because of this, there is good interest in the pre-sale of pressed pulp, according to various suppliers, especially along the large rivers, where the most rain has fallen so far. Better to commit now than to miss something later, seems to be the motto. In the North, livestock farmers are generally less panicky, but confidence was also hit there last night after 50+ millimeters.
As far as spent grains are concerned, the market is relatively unchanged compared to last week. It is and remains a real buyers' market. This week's DCA Indication Price therefore remains unchanged at €2,95 per percent dry matter. The supply of feed potatoes is and remains tight. The DCA Indicative Price remains the same at €60 per tonne, where available.
Scatter
In silage there are major differences between fresh grass and grass from the old harvest. For example, one trader who does a lot of baling for riding schools keeps the price high because there is no longer a large supply of grass from the previous harvest, while another trader with grass from the new harvest makes a reasonable profit. The DCA Indicative Price for good silage that can be fed directly is €90 per tonne. Freshly harvested grass was approximately €10 to €15 less than this last week.
When it comes to maize, the differences between the regions are also large. Prices are higher in the north and west than in the south and east of the Netherlands. Availability is the bottleneck. Several selling livestock farmers aim high and if you are in a region where there is no supply, you will succeed. The DCA Indicative Price for silage maize this week amounts to €95 per tonne. The price for top corn is around €100. Slightly less critical buyers in favorable regions can achieve well below €90, but in general there is less trade there.
There are few changes in hay and straw. The supply of straw is quite one-sided, mainly from France. Demand is relatively high for this time of year. The DCA Indicative Price for both wheat and barley straw is €150 per tonne. There is very little trade in grass seed hay and the price remains the same at €185 per tonne. Regular customers for meadow hay continue to buy, but they still have to wait for the new harvest. The DCA Indicative Price remains the same at €200 per tonne.