Good roughage remains expensive. However, it is not all doom and gloom for the livestock farmer on the feed market. The downward trend in by-products continues this week.
There is really something for livestock farmers to choose from and save when it comes to by-products. Whether it is steam peels, wheat yeast concentrates or brewers grains, suppliers have little trouble serving customers. In fact, the field service has to get to work to find a place for everything, according to a supplier. Brewers grains take a step back again this week and the DCA Indicative Price comes to €3,45 per percent dry matter.
If you can handle liquid flows, you are at an advantage in the current market. Liquid has always been the domain of pig farming, while dairy farmers prefer to work with solid products. Due to a shrinkage of the pig farming sector, partly due to the government's buy-out scheme, liquid residual flows seem to be becoming more interesting in terms of costs. For dairy farmers who already have a feed mixer, it can be financially attractive to also look at liquid by-products, according to a supplier.
Feed potatoes difficult to obtain
Where by-products are readily available, this is not the case with feed potatoes. According to traders, you need relatively small quantities of sorted seed potatoes or sorters for export. "You can't just get a load together. Usually it's a 10 or 12 tonne bin that you can get", according to a trader. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes remains the same at €50 per tonne.
In hay and straw, the regular work continues. Straw is not easy to obtain and therefore remains relatively expensive. The DCA Indicative Price this week is €185 per tonne. Some traders do indicate that a price increase in the short term cannot be ruled out. Arable farmers do not easily let go of the straw and if it has to come from far away, the transport costs are high. The DCA Indicative Price for meadow hay is €190 per tonne and for grass seed hay €170 per tonne. There is limited trade in both meadow and grass seed hay.
Trade in silage maize is starting to get going, but it is not very busy according to insiders. Some customers are using this somewhat quieter period after spreading the manure for the first cut and mowing to replenish their maize stock. The DCA Indicative Price for silage maize is €90 per tonne. There is not much to do in silage grass. More intensive companies that always buy continue to do so and there is the regular sales to riding schools and horse owners. Incidentally, these are mainly bales. The DCA Indicative Price for loose silage grass is €80 per tonne.