Corn chopping is booming. This is clearly reflected in the trade. Most corn is now sealed. There is some tension in the by-product market, however. There is less availability of various streams than is demanded. For straw sales, bulb growers are buying the large volumes.
The silage maize harvest is progressing well. If the weather continues to cooperate, not much will remain in the north of the country by the end of this week. Meanwhile, the fresh maize trade is at a low ebb. The vast majority of the maize still to be chopped has already been secured. As a buyer, you need a bit of luck to find some maize behind the chopper. If some does come along, it's often because the seller is asking a very high price or because there's a story behind it, for example, regarding quality. The DCA indicative price for fresh maize remains stable at €67,50 per tonne delivered on the silage plate, excluding shovel.
By-products remain in good demand overall. A product like pressed fiber, whose demand normally declines somewhat once the corn harvest is almost over, is also still in high demand this week. However, several traders expect that once the corn harvest is fully completed in the North and demand for pressed fiber as a corn cover is satisfied, prices will drop somewhat. Press pulp, another major campaign product, is also in sufficient supply this season. A little more can be sold than previously anticipated due to good beet yields.
This is different for brewers' grains. Demand for these grains from various suppliers is quite high compared to the supply. The DCA indicative price for brewers' grains remains stable at €3,75 per percent dry matter. The supply of streams like potato steam peels or TGC is also very limited, according to various suppliers.
Feed potatoes are a somewhat unusual market. Overall, there's a decent supply, but the necessary feed potatoes are shipped directly from arable farmers to livestock farmers without the intervention of a trader. Several arable farmers who waited to harvest potatoes that had to be removed from the fields have taken the plunge and decided to harvest them directly for feed. Now that the corn is mostly in the pit, some traders are noticing a slight decline in demand for feed potatoes. Once the potato harvest is complete, the supply of feed potatoes is also expected to decline rapidly. The DCA indicative price for feed potatoes this week is €40 per tonne.
Bulb growers pull straw
Demand for straw from livestock farming is somewhat subdued. On the other hand, domestic and international sellers are also reluctant to sell straw at this time. They are keeping prices fairly high. Unlike livestock farmers, bulb growers are in the market for straw. This is common practice at this time of year. The DCA Indicative Price for both wheat and barley straw this week is €160 per tonne. Grass seed hay is quite active for this time of year. The price range is from €160 for English ryegrass to €180 for red fescue. Bales of finely chopped red fescue grass seed hay are even more expensive, comparable to hammered Spanish straw. The DCA Indicative Price for meadow hay is €190 per tonne.
There's limited trade in silage. While demand is certainly there, traders say it's difficult to find good first- or second-cut silage. Late-harvest autumn grass is available, but few buyers find it. The DCA indicative price for good silage is €80 per tonne.