Straw is the dominant force in the forage trade. A period of solid weather would be welcome for that. A little rain would be welcome for the grass and corn. The by-products trade is already in a holiday mood.
In the north of the country, it's mainly barley straw that's being harvested. Towards the south, a considerable amount of wheat straw can already be baled. A considerable amount of winter wheat has been harvested in recent days. However, baling directly behind the combine harvester isn't possible this season. "The moisture content of the wheat was good, but the straw sometimes has a green knot, and then you just have to give it some time before baling," said a trader. The constant showers in the forecast are not encouraging sentiment in the straw trade. Some arable farmers are inclined to turn on the chopper if they don't trust the straw will be removed quickly.
Varying yield
In France, the amount of straw available varies widely, according to various traders. This is partly why French grain growers feel little need to sell at any price. They'd rather just harvest it and see what happens later. Finding a price for straw is therefore a bit of a quest. The DCA quotation for wheat straw from the new harvest is €145 per tonne this week, but the price range is quite wide. Barley straw is slightly lower than wheat straw, at €140 per tonne.
Grass seed hay is also becoming more available this week, but even here, finding a price remains a bit of a struggle. The scattered showers aren't making things any easier. In one location, they're baling today, while 5 kilometers away, they've been rained out. Rain in grass seed hay is even more detrimental to the quality than in straw, according to an insider. The DCA indicative price for grass seed hay this week ranges from €140 to €150 per tonne, depending on the variety, but even here the range is quite wide. €160 is also a good price.
Demand for silage maize varies considerably by region, but especially for this time of year, there's quite a bit going on. There's certainly no sign of panic. On average, maize for the new harvest is doing well. It is important, however, that we get some rain in the coming period. "The cob still has to set, and we've seen other times in dry years where there was a lot of corn, but the starch wasn't as good because there was only a small cob," according to an insider. The DCA Indicative Price for silage maize stands at €90 per ton this week.
There are no major shifts in by-products this week. Several processors are experiencing shutdowns, but because these were planned well in advance, by-product suppliers were able to anticipate them. The DCA Indicative Price for brewer's grains also remains unchanged at €3,60 per percent dry matter. The supply of feed potatoes varies considerably between suppliers. Some report that most of the old harvest has now been cleared, while others indicate they still have work to do to get everything placed. The DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €30 per tonne.