Hay Report - Need some rain cut some Hay

For the fortnight up to the 24th of October 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

Paul Grayling hit the nail on the head below when he said, "Need some rain. Cut some Hay." It's one of those things we like to say as a Farmer's version of Murphy's Law. We all know that it doesn't always happen like that, but it's just a fun thing to say. Throw away line, as Paul mentioned.

Some people did get some rain on their Hay, and it varied a bit. Overall, I would say that because things were pretty dry and many in SA and Vic are lacking bulk, the damage overall was limited or only slight. That's not to say some didn't get hit.

How it will affect the Hay in the Bale is yet to be determined.

Hay seems to be a topic of conversation right now, and I can understand why. As a general rule, Croppers are just that - Croppers, because they like growing Crops to Harvest Grain. Only a select few actually like growing Crops so they can cut Hay. Although it is a part of most Croppers' programs these days, they are still not big on it.

Some have their own Equipment, and others use contractors, and what we are noticing this year is the ones that have their own gear have little hesitation in cutting a Crop. But those who have to get contractors in are a little bit more circumspect because they know what the cost is upfront, and it's not a cheap thing to do.

They are also wary that quite a bit of Hay might hit the market, so it's not going to be that easy to sell.

In the next fortnight, we should start to get a bit of an idea of how much Cereal Hay is likely to come onto the market.

I will unashamedly say in closing that listing with Farm Tender will give you a good opportunity to find a selling price you are comfortable with, the ability for us to relay who you are selling to or buying from (many of these people we know), and also the ability for a buyer to find something close by, which might, and I say might, get you closer to the price you want. Oh and don't forget, we can do the invoicing on behalf and hold monies in our account to limit any disputes.

For any Hay-related advice, ring one of the sales guys.

For 6-month payment terms through DelayPay, give Kelsey and call on 0409 117 730.

What's happened to Hay prices over the last fortnight?

New Season Vetch is $350 to $385 a tonne, depending on where you are. It's firmed slightly.

The best Cereal/Oaten Hay is ranging from $255 to $280 a tonne, which hasn't altered yet.

Lucerne Hay is around $400 a tonne.

The very best Shedded Straw is making $150 a tonne.

We go around the grounds to see what our Farm Tender Salespeople have to say:

Paul Grayling - Mallee, Vic based

Paul said - Need some rain, cut some Hay. That seems to be that throw-away line that quite often turns out to be on the money. We have had some good rain around the traps with a fair bit of Hay on the ground; with varying reports of final counts, there will be some rain-affected Hay getting pressed up. Feed Tests will be critical moving forward; Pricing might have to be adjusted also to meet the market again. A test gives transparency to all and will marry up price and quality for both buyer and seller. 

Shane Ruyg - Qld based

Shane said - Interesting fortnight with Hay going down everywhere with some good quality Vetch and Wheaten Hay hitting the market. And then, as per usual, when it hits the ground, we get rain, with some getting a couple of inches up in northern vic and a bit less as you head south. This may help in seeing prices settling down as we already have some good quality Hay shedded and on the market. But we may see a drop in quality with the next wave of Hay to hit the market.

Mike Pickard - On the road

Mike said - The Hay market is pretty quiet at the present time. There are a few small lots selling. Feed tests this year are a must if you want to sell. There has been a little bit of rain around, which has slowed down Hay making in all regions; everyone is keen to see it in a Bale tested before they will inquire. There is a reasonable quantity of Hay in northern New South Wales and Queensland going into Feedlots. Further south, there are a lot of frosted Crop with good quality Vetch at a premium, but how much of it is available will be the big?

Jim Oehms - Northern Country, Vic based

Jim said - New season Hay is slowly coming onto the market and pricing is a little bit up in the air at the moment. From what I have heard, Vetch and Lucerne may be in short supply this year, and this will most probably drive prices up. Frost has damaged a lot of Crops and Farmers are feeling that now in certain areas. The rains last week over SA/Vic/NSW were welcomed but also a bit late and not good for the Hay that had been dropped due to curing. I would suggest having a feed test done on Hay that has been baled as well.

End of message.

For more information on selling or buying Hay contact the following:

Paul Grayling – 0447 069 082 or paulg@farmtender.com.au

Shane Ruyg – 0447 922 604 or shaner@farmtender.com.au

Mike Pickard – 0429 677 636 or mikep@farmtender.com.au

Jim Oehms -- 0481 102 288 or jimo@farmtender.com.au

Or 1300 Farming (1300 327 646)

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To watch a video on how it works or to buy Load Looper go to the website here.

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