Hay Report - A wrap up of the Fodder Industry conference

For the fortnight up to the 2nd of August 2022.

By Dwain Duxson

I attended the Australia Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) conference in Toowoomba last week. It was really good to catch up with familiar faces and chat about everything, and Hay, of course.

The two main things I noticed were that the attendees were passionate Fodder people, and unlike a lot of these Ag conferences you go to, this one had many Farmers attending.

The main chatter amongst attendees was the need for an injection of quality Hay into the system. However, many Producers I spoke to don't intend to make a great deal of Hay unless something changes. Many are worried about where all the Hay is going to come from. 

From the people I spoke to, here is an outline of what the domestic Hay industry is looking for.

• Consistency in Hay testing, there are too many variations between the testing companies.
• Some data on Hay Crop forecasts, like how ABARES does its Grain Crop forecasting a couple of times a year.
• A Hay industry governing body, like how GTA operates for Grain. The need for a body to sort out contract disputes and set policies for the domestic Hay industry.
• Some relief from all the Transport rules and red tape
• A standardised, easy-to-identify Hay quality indicator for each Hay type (eg, Vetch, Clover, Cereal, etc).

The Export side of the Hay industry is going through some changes with AgTrade acquiring Hay Australia and SP Hay and its sites across WA and SA. They spoke at the conference and have plans to become the largest Hay exporter in Australia.

Overall I thought the conference lacked a few relevant speakers and got a bit bogged down at times, but there were some takeaways and great catch-ups that made it worthwhile.

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

Overall, sales over the last fortnight probably dropped off a little. 

We are currently looking for good lines of Vetch and Cereal Hay.

Good Vetch Hay made up to $300 a tonne in the last fortnight, but most sales were in the $235-$265 a tonne range. There is still good demand for A1 Vetch Hay. 

Cereal Hay sales dropped a little over the last fortnight with no real price change. 

There is some demand (not heaps) for Straw to go North into Cattle Feedlots. Straw prices are all over the shop with anything from $40 through to $100 a tonne. 

All prices quoted are ex GST and ex Farm.

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

Paul Grayling - Mallee, Vic based

Paul said - The last Fortnight has seen the continuance of Spot Loads being dribbling out. While the Hay job is far from "Red Hot", it has continued to gather interest and enquiry. Broken Record time again - Feed Tests and photos are becoming more important from a selling point of view. Anything that can bring someone closer to buying is advantageous.  

Shane Ruyg - Qld based

Shane said - A steady fortnight with roughly 900+ tonnes of Hay moving through my books. We still got buyers looking for good Cereal and Vetch Hay, so if you have some Shedded or covered, make sure you list with Feed Test. 

I am hearing that the new season potential is tracking along ok, with some wanting a bit more rain to finish it off and others having too much rain. 

Mike Pickard - Travelling around 

Mike said - There is interest in Straw moving forward in the Northern parts of New South Wales and Queensland to supply feedlot. They are looking for eight stringers with plenty of weight for transport. A little bit of interest in Queensland for Weaner Hay as large Cattle stations prepare for another round of mustering.

We are selling a little bit of Vetch Hay out of South Australia into the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales as the winter has really set in up there and relying on some good quality Hay to keep Stock going.

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

Or 1300 Farming (1300 327 646)

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