The mercury is rising, and spring is starting to feel a bit like it. Unfortunately, it's still a bit wet. Large-scale manure spreading is not yet possible. This also keeps the manure market under pressure. Combined with a moderate milk price, this is not doing much for the livestock farming sector. This is noticeable in the forage trade.
The economic climate isn't exactly favorable for livestock farming, but there is one exception. By-products remain a true buyer's market. "We're practically driving each other off the farm," says a by-products trader. The supply is ample, and it can be a bit of a challenge to get everything placed, insiders say. If you have the capacity to buy larger volumes and are flexible about what can be delivered when, then quite a lot is possible, suppliers say. The DCA Indicative Price for brewers' grains fell this week by €0,10 to €3,45 per percent of doge dust.
There are plenty of feed potatoes available, and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Not every livestock farmer wants to feed potatoes. The group of enthusiasts, so to speak, is too small to accommodate everything. The DCA Indicative Price for feed potatoes remains stable at €15 per ton. Potato chips are slightly more expensive, but they are slightly easier to store and feed than feed potatoes. Some insiders do warn against overdoing it with potatoes in the ration due to their relatively high potassium content.
There's some trading activity in corn, but it's not particularly busy. Buyers are a bit hesitant about the price. The DCA Indicative Price for corn silage remains stable at €75 per tonne. Good first- or second-cut silage for dairy cows or goats remains difficult to find, according to traders. The DCA Indicative Price remains unchanged at €85 per tonne.
There's also little change in hay and straw. Some more straw is being offered, but sellers are reluctant to budge on price. The DCA indicative price for both wheat and barley straw is €165 per tonne. Grass seed hay has fallen slightly, ranging from €160 for perennial ryegrass to €180 for red fescue. For good meadow hay, the DCA indicative price remains stable at €200 per tonne.