Liquid feed solution produced on the region’s doorstep*
Livestock farmers in the Midlands faced with high feed costs should be careful not to overlook the great value alternative feeds produced in the region. That’s the message from Trident’s Dean Barclay, who’s urging all dairy and beef producers in the area to seriously consider taking advantage of liquid feeds this winter.
“Molasses- and distillery syrup-based liquid feeds have always tended to be more expensive than cereals in terms of energy supply, but were still included in rations because of the extra value they provided in terms of sugars, increased palatability, reduced sorting and higher intakes,” he explains.
“But these liquid feeds aren’t affected by the same factors that have driven up the price of traditional dry straights, and the lower relative price this year means you can now have these benefits without the usual cost penalty. In some cases there’s even with a cost saving!”
The biggest gains come when liquid feeds are sourced locally, as transport costs can quickly reduce any potential savings. What many won’t realise is that one of the best value liquid feeds, Rouxminate, is actually produced near Nottingham.
Rouxminate is made by blending two liquid co-products from the human food industry, one from wheat processing in Corby, the other from sugar beet processing at Wissington. The result is a 66% dry matter liquid feed containing 13MJ ME/kg DM and 8% crude protein, and it’s currently selling for around £139/t*.
“That works out at just 16.2p/10MJ ME compared to 17.5p/10MJ ME for rolled wheat, a saving of more than 7%,” Mr Barclay continues. “On top of that you get all the usual liquid feed benefits, making it ideal for improving intakes of hard-to-feed poor quality silage, or binding rolled cereals and other concentrates to the forage in the ration to prevent sorting.
“Rouxminate really could be the ideal option for farmers throughout the Midlands, East Anglia and South Yorkshire this winter,” he adds. “Produced locally from GM-free British wheat and sugar beet, it’s an opportunity few can afford to ignore.”
Visit www.tridentfeeds.co.uk for more information on Rouxminate, to find your local supplier and for details of Trident’s current interest free liquid feed tank scheme.
* Prices quoted correct at time of going to press, 10t bulk loads delivered on-farm within 50 miles of source, prices will vary with load sizes and distance from source. Rolled wheat price is ex-farm and includes haulage and processing costs.
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