 FEED MARKET UPDATE The last week has once again seen further volatility in the feed market with wheat prices fluctuating on a daily basis due to weather and market news. One things for sure volatility in the feed markets is here to stay in the short to medium term and therefore care needs to be taken when deciding the best feeds to use and when to purchase them. Prices have been driven by a combination of increased worldwide demand for both feed and bio fuels, along with speculator involvement in the "soft" commodities market, coupled with the impact of instability in the Middle East and Africa. With the exception of soya and distillers we have seen huge increases in raw material prices in the last 12 months and therefore great care is needed to ensure appropriate feeds are purchased to achieve best cost rations. Where storage for straights is limited it often makes sense to look at either a single blend of straights or a balanced blend plus a single protein or energy feed which can be used to "tweak" the diet as required. Protein blends offer a viable alternative to the high price of soya and could include a combination of protein sources to reduce cost and provide a steady supply of protein to the rumen. With availability of UK produced and imported Sugar Beet Pulp very limited this summer, wheatfeed, soya hulls and citrus offer a useful digestible fibre alternative, either as a straight or as part of a blend or compound. With cows now out to grass its a good time to review options for buffer feeding and we can offer a full range of compounds, blends, moist feeds, moist blends and straights to balance high protein grazed grass and buffer forages such as maize or grass silage. We are now actively contracting compounds and blends for our clients for the summer and next winter as recent falls in some raw materials present a good opportunity to take some cover. |
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