This week it is finally convincing summer weather in the Netherlands. And that offers farmers the opportunity to mow properly, without rain throwing a spanner in the works. Well, the KNMI has forecast thunderstorms again on Wednesday, which will probably bring some precipitation in many places. Roughage traders and contractors therefore remain gloomy.
“A day of sunshine makes you forget weeks of rain,” goes an old proverb. This may seem to be the case with most people, but in the agricultural sector the wet summer (and spring) so far has certainly not been forgotten. Especially since rain is expected again in many parts of the country on Wednesday and Thursday. This makes threshing grain and pressing straw a challenging exercise, just like getting the grass in on time. "It is simply difficult this year to get things off the land properly," sighs an insider during our weekly call round. According to him, this also makes quoting prices difficult, as the range is very wide.
Taking scarcity into account
It is currently difficult to estimate the availability of high-quality roughage and straw for the coming winter months. Yet traders often take scarcity into account, especially for straw, as we do last week already wrote. This also applies to the availability of corn, especially due to the erratic growing conditions this year. Yet in many places the growth is not disappointing. It should not be forgotten that the area in the Netherlands has increased significantly this year.
Larger corn area
A total of 209.000 hectares of silage and grain maize has been planned this year. Last year that was 196.965 hectares. That is 6,11% more. Good for 12.000 hectares. The cause for this must be sought in various factors. First of all, the fact that spring 2024 was extremely late, which sometimes made corn the only option. On the other hand, grain prices have normalized and farmers may opt for corn more often.
Lateral roughage market
Roughage prices are making a sideways step across the board this week, and - as mentioned - often have a wide range. Only the price of spent grain increases by €0,05 to €3,25 per percent dry matter. Regionally, prices may also be somewhat higher. Availability does not last, because brewers are brewing less than expected. The prices of spent grain are below the level of 2023 and also the year before.
Click here for an overview of roughage prices in our database.