Digestors feedstock

[capfits]

Just seeing the threads on here and it sppears there is real concerns to the yield situations in various parts of the country.
In 2018 there was some yempting offers from digester operators for material to feed them. £50 for pit silage, £30/bale. Locally drove the draff market etc.
Have they made there cropping plans mote resilient with beet, maize and other sources or are we to see a repeat of 2018?
Could make the opportunity costs of some enterprises interesing if they were to look for more livestock routef forage crops.

 

[Brisel]

It's an interesting conundrum. Whilst it takes a lot of weed seeds away and gives an early start to following crop prep, just thinking you're saving a lot of grain harvesting & handling costs is unwise. The marginal costs of harvesting an storing are quite small. Just fuel, a few spares and overtime saved if you own the kit. No reduction in depreciation nor contribution to the truly "fixed costs." If you're being paid by fresh weight, beware of the yield of crops that are half dead and not even knee high. The energy density of these will be quite high if they are as much grain as straw. Perhaps sell by MJ not tonnes?

Can you get digestate in return? Are you already using contractors for operations? How tidy will the stubble be afterwards? Maize headers can leave a rough finish. Will the blackgrass have dropped viable seed before the forager comes in? So many questions that need to be considered.

 

[capfits]

Sorry not thinking like that at all.
Mixed enterprise here, but more for grass crops or those on rubbish milk contracts where they are perhaps unable to turn a profit at present.
Punt cows situation sell forage, opportunity to reassess reset buiness as it were.

 

[deleted user 837354]

It's an interesting conundrum. Whilst it takes a lot of weed seeds away and gives an early start to following crop prep, just thinking you're saving a lot of grain harvesting & handling costs is unwise. The marginal costs of harvesting an storing are quite small. Just fuel, a few spares and overtime saved if you own the kit. No reduction in depreciation nor contribution to the truly "fixed costs." If you're being paid by fresh weight, beware of the yield of crops that are half dead and not even knee high. The energy density of these will be quite high if they are as much grain as straw. Perhaps sell by MJ not tonnes?

Can you get digestate in return? Are you already using contractors for operations? How tidy will the stubble be afterwards? Maize headers can leave a rough finish. Will the blackgrass have dropped viable seed before the forager comes in? So many questions that need to be considered.

How much would a digester need to offer you per acre for you to consider selling an acre of standing wheat?

 

[DRC]

How much would a digester need to offer you per acre for you to consider selling an acre of standing wheat?

This year not as much as other years . In the past I’ve sold standing winter barley at £400/acre. That was when barley was sub £120 ton and straw about £50 acre, and it was when I was paying a contractor to combine , so saving £35/ acre .

 

[teslacoils]

How much would a digester need to offer you per acre for you to consider selling an acre of standing wheat?

I'll sell stood spring cereals for one ton of wheat delivered into my central storage space per acre, on the basis it's cleared my mid August.

 

[Brisel]

How much would a digester need to offer you per acre for you to consider selling an acre of standing wheat?

I would have to do the maths on that but a few years ago I was offered £30/t fresh weight which wasn't enough then with grain prices lower than they are now. What would you get from a crop of wheat doing 9 t/ha dry grain and 3 t/ha straw? 14 t/ha green weight? I'd want over £500/acre, though unless it rains soon it certainly won't be worth that!