The Irish Farmers Journal livestock team carried out a meal price survey in recent days, to gauge what way prices are looking and the trends in the trade. There has been no real change in price in recent months, with concentrate costs largely in line with those witnessed when significant volumes were trading last spring.

In terms of price variation, the highest price tended to be along the western half of the country, which is generally the case. However, there is significant variation between regions in terms of price quotes. This can be partly attributed to the fact that the energy and protein content of feeds can differ majorly.

Each year, when meal price surveys are completed, there are invariably calls from feed manufacturers and providers saying that prices quoted are low relative to their offering and that the quality of feed they are offering is superior. This no doubt can be an issue, but the problem in quoting prices is that feed manufacturers and providers do not state the energy content of the feed, and therefore there is no standardised way to compare feeds.

By law, the only requirement or transparency on feed ingredients is the listing of ingredients in order of inclusion. The fact that there is no requirement to include the percentage inclusion rate also leaves farmers at a disadvantage when determining the quality of feed they are purchasing. It is often the case that a high protein content is used as a sales pitch, but this sometimes masks the energy content and is an aspect farmers should be mindful of.

Weanling feeds

Merchants report sales of weanling feeds, such as weanling crunch, creep feed and standard weanling rations/nuts, benefitting from farmers participating in the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme, which required participants to feed meals for four weeks pre-weaning and two weeks post-weaning. This has boosted sales, particularly in suckler strongholds along the west coast.

The general prices quoted for a standard weanling ration range from €245/t to €265/t for significant volumes delivered in bulk or collected from the merchant’s yard in half tonne feeders/bags. A similar feed in a pelleted nut is costing €5 to €10 more. The sale of weanling rations in 25kg bags is still common, with prices typically €15 to €20 dearer than in bulk form. Many feeds in bag form are costing in the region of €300/t to €320/t with cooked or crunch rations as high as €340/t to €360/t in 25kg bags.

Beef trade uncertainty

Some merchants report that they are slowly starting to see interest build from specialist beef finishers. Many have been purchasing small quantities in recent weeks for supplementing cattle at grass and are now looking to explore deals for the period from now until Christmas.

Prices quoted by merchants for a high-energy ration range on average from €240/t to €260/t, with very little variation reported between regions.

This price is again for bulk deliveries or collections. Some merchants comment that there is obviously scope to negotiate on larger volumes, due to economies of scale and lower transport costs.

They do however say that payment terms are becoming a bigger concern with the vulnerability of beef finishing, something they are looking at more, with some offering a month’s credit to regular customers depending on volumes in question and charging interest thereafter.

This is not surprising given the returns from winter finishing in recent years, with merchants moving to reduce their exposure. In some cases, this is a bigger factor in negotiations than the volumes being purchased. Large-scale finishers capable of handling large volumes are often dealing directly with the manufacturer through a local rep.

Reports suggest feed reps are keen to do business and tie into deals, with volumes traded during and since spring relatively low. There are also reports of some farmers who would traditionally have finished significant numbers planning to store cattle over the winter or feed lower numbers.

Dairy sales steady

Merchants report that dairy sales are steady, with most farmers now feeding some level of concentrates. With the exception of a few periods on inclement weather in early September – and over the last fortnight – weather has been relatively kind, meaning there has been very little change in volumes trading over the summer months.

The typical product moving onto dairy farms has been a standard 14% crude protein nut. Prices quoted average in the range of €250/t to €270/t. There are some outliers outside this range, with lower-energy feeds back to €230/t, while in contrast, there are some high-spec diets quoted up to €280/t or higher.

Merchants report that there is some interest starting to build in concentrates with a higher protein content of 16%, as farmers start to introduce silage to the diet. Prices for higher protein feeds are typically being quoted at €15/t to €20/t above the 14% feeds.

Sheep trade boost

According to reports, it has been a relatively good few months for sales of sheep rations and pelleted nuts. Sales volumes are generally low during this period and many merchants report that the strength of the lamb trade resulted in steady sales.

Prices quoted for intensive pelleted feeds or high-energy rations are probably as diverse as with any feed. The average prices quoted range from €250/t to €275/t for bulk purchases, to €265/t to €300/t for sales in 25kg bags. Sales volumes and payment terms again have an influence on prices negotiated.

As is the case with weanling rations, cooked or crunch-type feeds are costing as much as €330/t to €360/t and are typically traded in 25kg bags.