The warmer and dry weather set the mood on the roughage market. Livestock farmers are busy with the second cut in this real hay weather. The new crop of straw and grass seed hay is also not far away. On the other hand, traders speak of a somewhat quieter market. The expression 'women naked, trade dead' also applies to the feed market.
We are a bit between old and new harvest. This especially applies to hay and straw. We are in a transitional market. We have to wait for the new harvest and what that will do to the price. "It's really hay weather, we expect quite a bit with the new harvest," said a trader. The rain has also moved up a bit, so that should be fine. The old meadow hay is also almost gone. The DCA Indicative Price now remains the same at €200 per tonne. Prices of around €180 are quoted for the new harvest, which - if the weather continues to cooperate - will hit the market later this week.
Cutting maize still runs, but it is a bit on the rough side. A lot of corn might have been sown too late due to the wetness. It is still too wet in the south. What will happen next season? The optimal sowing time has already passed, but some people still take the risk of sowing. The chance of a crop that no longer ripens at all or a very late harvest therefore increases considerably. A trader even indicates that some customers are considering building up an extra stock this summer. The DCA Indicative Price remains at €100 per tonne.
Straw is still green
The grain harvest has started carefully. In the Netherlands, the very early plots of winter barley have already been threshed. Pressing directly behind the combine is not yet an option. There are still too many green buttons in the straw for that. At the end of next week, some traders expect more supply of winter barley straw from France. But please don't let it rain, the harvest won't benefit from that. Wheat straw will probably be here in about three weeks to a month. The DCA Indicative Price remains at €160 per tonne for barn wheat and barley straw. A cautious first indication for barley straw from the cleat is approximately €10 below that.
Maybe if the weather cooperates, the first grass seed hay of the new harvest will be available by the end of next week. The early varieties in the south of the Netherlands are going fast in this weather. For now we have to make do with the old harvest. The DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €185 per tonne.
The steady weather these days is being gratefully used to harvest the second cut of grass. The supply of silage grass, whether or not pressed in large packs, is not disappointing, according to various traders. Good silage grass that can be fed immediately is hardly offered. The DCA Indicative Price for preserved silage grass remains at €85 per tonne, but with the comment that there is little trade in it.
There are major changes in by-products and residual products this week. Feed potatoes are and will remain a scarce commodity. The DCA Indicative Price remains at €60 per tonne for feed potatoes, if they are available at all. The price of spent grain is also stable at €3,10 per percent dry matter. The market is reasonably balanced according to insiders.