Sugar beet price stability is sweet news for farmers
With a 30 per cent increase in the UK sugar beet area and buoyed by favourable growing conditions, livestock producers will benefit from sugar beet feed price stability throughout the winter period.
Traditionally, sugar beet feed prices fluctuate between now and next spring when the factories finish processing the sugar beet, but the increased availability this year has meant that we’re able to offer a flat rate price through to April 2018.
Given the current climate of UK farming, this offers security in times of economic uncertainty, and it won’t be affected by any volatility in currency.
Many producers will be looking to optimise animal performance through cost effective feeding. Sugar beet feed is one of the best feed options available as it has numerous benefits.
It’s one of the most effective sources of digestible fibre-based energy available for ruminants.
Sugar beet feed is also highly palatable and can be used in combination with less palatable feeds to stimulate intakes, therefore drive milk yields and in particular increase butterfat percentage, due to its high digestible fibre content which forms the building blocks for milk fat.
At a time where milk prices are looking to increase, with more focus on payments for milk quality and butterfat percentage, it’s a product that producers will no doubt be considering in rations this winter.
With prices lower than 2016 and reduced availability of imported sugar beet feed, we envisage that the early season demand will inevitably be high, with customers looking to get their first delivery on to farm to smooth the transition to winter diets.
So, to avoid any prospect of delays with deliveries, we’d strongly advise our customers to get orders in early, with the opportunity to forward purchase to ensure they have supplies throughout the winter. This proactive approach will pay-off in securing supplies.
Duncan Hook is Trident Feeds category director
