A milk price that's not sustainable and high manure disposal costs are not doing much for the livestock industry. Customers are striving for the lowest possible costs, according to several forage traders. And there are certainly opportunities to save on feed. By-products are a real buyer's market.
There are, of course, differences between products and suppliers, but overall, the range of by-products is extensive. Suppliers have to work hard to find a place to sell the volumes they need. As a livestock farmer, you can easily benefit from this. Especially if you're somewhat flexible in what and when you can deliver, suppliers are quite willing to adjust the price.
The sale of rejected arable products is proving difficult. Unwashed carrots and onions are not suitable for dairy cattle. These are sourced from bull fatteners and sheep farmers, a relatively small group. Feed potatoes are also readily available. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes dropped to €15 per tonne this week.
Potato press fiber, steam peels, and shavings, as well as products from the grain processing industry, are readily available. Be critical about what you feed and consider whether you can save on pellets without sacrificing milk production by using more single-ingredient raw materials, according to several suppliers. The DCA indicative price for brewer's grains is €3,65 per percent dry matter.
No outliers
Hay and straw production continues steadily, with few outliers. The price range, especially for straw, remains wide. The DCA indicative price for wheat straw is €160 per tonne, and barley straw is €165. Grass seed hay ranges from €165 for perennial ryegrass to €180 for red fescue. The DCA indicative price for good meadow hay is €200 per tonne.
The silage market isn't particularly busy. That doesn't mean there's no demand for good silage. It's the supply side that's struggling. The DCA indicative price for silage is rising by €5 to €85 per tonne. Maize is somewhat quieter, according to several traders. An average good roughage year and cost-effective byproducts play a role in this. The DCA indicative price for maize silage is €75 per tonne.