Always something, rarely anything good—that's somewhat true for the forage trade. After a largely dry spring and early summer, the weather is now changeable. These are certainly not favorable conditions for the proper harvesting of straw and grass seed. A little moisture is certainly beneficial for the growth of corn and grass, although a bit more rain, especially in the south, would be welcome.
Straw remains the hot topic in the forage trade this week. While water isn't the only factor, the showers are just enough to keep the combines and balers mostly in the shed. In the south/southwest, the vast majority of wheat has been threshed, and much of the straw has already been baled. What's still in the swath is patiently waiting. "If it doesn't happen today, it will happen tomorrow, or next week," says one trader. "It's more dangerous in northern France and eastern Germany. There, even more wheat is stuck than in the south of the Netherlands, and farmers can still choose to use the chopper on the combine. If the weather continues to be this changeable, you'll really lose that straw if things go wrong."
No abundance
Due to the changeable weather, there won't be a flood of straw on the market. It's all moving fairly evenly. The downside is that it's difficult for traders to estimate what they can expect. This uncertainty is reflected in the price. The DCA Indicative Price for wheat straw remains unchanged at €145. Some suppliers indicate that the supply from the field was low last week. Customers who need straw immediately are therefore forced to rely on straw already in the barn. Some sellers charge an extra €5 or €10 for this.
Trade in grass seed hay is limited. On the one hand, there's little supply, and weather naturally plays a role here as well. The customer base isn't growing either. Last year, there was little good grass seed hay available, and more livestock farmers switched to products like hammered straw. "If that worked out well, they won't be returning to grass seed hay anytime soon," said one trader. The DCA indicative price for grass seed hay this week is €150 per tonne. Variety distinctions are practically nonexistent.
There are hardly any changes in the solid by-products. The DCA Indicative Price for brewers' grains remains stable at €3,60 per percent dry matter. Some liquid products are becoming slightly more expensive. This is not due to increased demand, but rather to shutdowns at potato and wheat processors. The supply of feed potatoes remains stable and relatively good for this time of year. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes is €30 per tonne.
Permanent job
There's not a lot of trade in grass silage and maize silage. Good grass is in demand, but because the first and second cuts weren't particularly large, it's only available in limited quantities. Grass harvested now has a slightly lower feed value and is less in demand. The DCA price for grass silage is €80 per tonne and for maize silage €90 per tonne. For maize, it's the regular customers who remain in the market. Incidentally, most traders have little to complain about regarding the maize supply.