With just over a week to go before Christmas, the feed trade is busy this week. It's a tight squeeze to get everyone supplied before Christmas. Customers who are now realizing it's smart to do something before January 1st aren't helping matters.
The feed market feels somewhat chaotic. Both Christmas and New Year's Day fall on weekdays. It's taking some time to adjust to this and ensure customers have access to feed. In addition, according to some traders, there's also some extra demand from customers who need a quick load of straw or fertilizer before January 1st, for example, so it can be used in the current fiscal year.
There's plenty of straw available, "but you have to pay for it," according to one trader. The price range for straw is quite wide. A flexible, non-critical customer in the south of the country pays €155, while €185 for nice, long straw in the north is also a reasonable price. The DCA indicative price for both wheat and barley straw is €170 per tonne. Demand for texture is always good. Hammered straw, but also grass seed hay or a bit of coarse dike hay, are also easy to sell, according to traders. The DCA indicative price for grass seed hay is €170 to €180 per tonne, depending on the variety. Nice meadow hay is €200 per tonne.
A wide offer
By-products typically slow down a bit in the week before the Christmas holidays to cover the shutdowns at various processors. This year is different. It seems as if both potato and grain processors are racing ahead. It varies slightly by supplier and product, but on average, the supply of by-products is quite generous. The DCA Indicative Price for brewers' grains is declining slightly this week to €3,90 per percent dry matter. Feed potatoes, as well as carrots and onions for feed, are in ample supply. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes remains stable at €30 per tonne, delivered free of charge.
The grass silage and maize silage markets aren't particularly busy. Some inquiries are being made, but customers aren't immediately accepting, according to a trader. Especially in the south of the country, it's also a bit of a search for good quality produce, according to some sources. The DCA indicative price for grass silage is €80 per tonne. For maize, the DCA indicative price remains unchanged at €85 per tonne.