Don't overdo things around the holidays. That seems to be the motto for both feed traders and livestock farmers these days. Because both Christmas holidays fall on weekdays, some traders found transport a bit of a challenge.
No major changes in the feed market this week. By-products can be quite volatile around this time of year due to closures and holidays, but this is only a limited occurrence this year. Supply was relatively ample in the run-up to the holidays, which means there's now little panic about supplying regular feeders. The DCA Indicative Price for brewers' grains remains stable at €3,90. There's also no change in feed potatoes, which are at €30 per tonne. A trader reports that the supply of carrots and onions for feed is quieter this week.
Regular work continues on hay and straw, but it's not very busy. "This is also the time to do maintenance on the trucks," says an insider. The DCA indicative price is €170 per ton. The price range remains wide, however, ranging from €155 to €185 depending on the customer's location and the quality of the straw. The DCA indicative price for grass seed hay is €170 to €180 per ton, depending on the variety. Fine meadow hay is priced at €200 per ton.
Grass silage and maize silage are barely being traded this week. Interest in good grass silage is primarily from the south of the country, where the dry season has left some roughage in the market. The supply of good grass silage is limited. The DCA indicative price for grass silage is €80 per tonne. The DCA indicative price for maize also remains unchanged at €85 per tonne.