A combination of factors will inevitably force the price of grass seed to rise says leading grass seed Supplier DLF Trifolium Ltd. “In recent years we are seeing fewer grass seed crops grown, says Derek Smith, Amenity Sales Manager for DLF. “No longer is there any subsidy on grass seed production so growers are looking at the most profitable crops to grow i.e. wheat. In addition to this factor is a higher demand for bio-ethanol crops such as oil seed rape and wheat in Europe.”
“Already we are experiencing difficulty in contracting for 2008 grass seed production due to these competitive crops,” concludes Smith.
The recent wet harvest in the main production areas of Western Europe has reduced seed yield by 20% for 2007 harvest thus compounding the problem further.
DLF Trifolium www.dlf.co.uk