The roughage trade isn't exactly booming, but there's quite a bit of activity for this time of year. Straw is starting to arrive from France, but getting it here is proving difficult. Customers have plenty of options when it comes to byproducts. Some livestock farmers are just more dedicated to this than others, according to various suppliers.
The permanent straw business is progressing well. Supply and demand are reasonably balanced. French arable farmers kept their barns closed for a long time, but according to insiders, there's now a bit more supply. Getting straw from France here is a challenge. Straw is usually shipped as a return shipment. However, many return shipments are unavailable. Price differences for straw on the Dutch market remain large. This depends on several factors. A forklift truckload of dust-free, long straw, and without stones from the Netherlands is easily a few tens of euros more expensive than foreign straw "as long as it's straw" delivered directly by a haulier. The DCA price indication for wheat straw remains stable at €160 per ton. Barley straw is €5 higher.
Byproducts and residual products are and will remain a true buyer's market. Most streams are readily available, and as a livestock farmer, there's plenty to choose from and, even more importantly these days, savings to be made. "If you want to try something new or see if you can save on feed costs without sacrificing milk production, now's the time," says one supplier.
Free
Purely in terms of price, unwashed rejected carrots are perhaps the cheapest available, delivered to the dam for free. "They're worthless for dairy cattle, but customers who supplement pasture-fed sheep or beef cattle can make do with them," says a trader. Feed potatoes are a market where there's considerable pressure to get the supply placed. The DCA Indicative Price remains stable at €20 per tonne.
The beet campaign is over, and with it, one of the major campaign products, pressed pulp, is also discontinued. The starch campaign continues, so pressed fiber remains available. Other streams from potato processing, such as steam peels and wood chips, are also readily available. For example, TGC or corn gluten is readily available from grain processing. Brewers' grains remain a somewhat unusual product. Some livestock farmers swear by them. Although it's not the cheapest feed value-wise, they want brewers' grains in their rations. The DCA indicative price for brewers' grains remains stable at €3,80 per percent dry matter.
Hay sales are quiet. Some pasture hay is available for horse customers and grass seed hay provides structure for livestock farmers, traders report. Compared to last year, demand for grass seed hay remains reasonable. The DCA indicative price for pasture hay is €200 per tonne, and grass seed hay ranges from €165 to €180 per tonne, depending on the breed.
Silage trade is limited. Some livestock farmers seem to postpone buying silage maize once they hear a price. The DCA indicative price for silage maize remains stable at €80 per tonne. There is interest in good silage grass, but it is very difficult to find. Bales of autumn grass are widely offered, but there is little demand for them. The DCA indicative price for good silage grass remains stable at €80 per tonne.