It is sunny and a bit on the dry side. Good conditions to go outside with the cows. The grass just doesn't seem to be doing so well yet. That is noticeable in the forage trade.
The drying north and east winds are not directly conducive to grass growth. Several farmers have their cows outside, but they still stick to the winter ration to keep them drinking milk. By-products are also easily finding their way, according to several suppliers. That used to be different around this time. The market is reasonably balanced. Long waiting times for, for example, brewers' grains are not an issue, but you don't have to go to the farmer to find a place for what comes from the brewery. The DCA Indicative Price for brewers' grains remains stable this week at €3,30 per percent dry matter.
Feed potatoes are reasonably well available. Some traders are doing more than others, but the time when it was really a search, like a few weeks ago, is now over. Part of it concerns sorted material from export or table potatoes and there are also some batches of rejected chips potatoes. According to forage traders, there is little oversized seed potatoes or seed potatoes that have been shot and usually end up in the feed at this time. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes this week is €50 per tonne.
The trade in maize is going well. There is quite a lot of information and if there is something available, you can sell it quickly, according to traders. Prices are relatively firm, but that does not really deter buyers. The DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €85 per tonne. In silage it is somewhat more difficult. More intensive companies that are looking for good grass for the dairy cows have difficulty succeeding. There is supply of silage grass, but these are often the somewhat lesser autumn cuts. 'They keep really good grass for themselves', according to a forage trader. And if someone sells good grass, it often finds its way to a neighbour or acquaintance outside the trade. The DCA Indicative Price for silage grass remains stable at €80 per tonne.
There are some different sounds in hay and straw. One trader notices that the demand for straw is still increasing somewhat, while for another it remains limited to permanent work. The DCA Indicative Price remains unchanged at €185 per tonne. There is little change in meadow and grass seed hay. With grass seed hay you have to be lucky that something is offered, but because it was almost the entire season that no sales were made, it has now somewhat fallen out of the system for livestock farmers. The price for meadow hay takes a small step back this week to €190 per tonne. Grass seed hay remains stable at €165 per tonne, but with the remark that there is little trade.