Hay Report - In no man's land

For the fortnight up to the 20th of August 2025.

By Dwain Duxson 

If we had to describe where the Hay job is at right at this very moment, then you could safely say it's in no man's land. It's at a point where the old season meets the new season. It's at a point where no grass meets some grass. It's at the point where if it's needed, then it's only needed in small quantities. It's also at the point where old season high prices meet new season normal prices. And Farmers that are in the areas where they need Hay have destocked to a point where they don't need much, if any. Then there's a point where high Hay prices meet retreating Grain prices. Can you see where no-mans-land is?

So with all that taken into consideration, there is still a little bit moving here and there, but generally it's pretty quiet.

We went for a drive through the Wimmera last week, it's one of the premier Hay growing areas in Australia, and it's starting to recover from a dry and late start. It's still lacking bulk, and things are in between rains with some fine weather and some frost happening as we write. More rain is needed and sooner rather than later, I would suggest.

This year, more than ever, Farmers will be grappling with the decision "to cut or not to cut". It's certainly something they will have to grapple with, and the age-old decision around the ability to sell Hay vs the ability to sell Grain. When there is no demand for Hay, it sits there in famine (as opposed to feast) mode, and if we have a dry Summer and Autumn in 2026, then it will be back to feast mode. As for Grain, the upside to that is you can sell it any day of the week at a price.

No man's land, to cut or not to cut, and the feast or famine thing, there is plenty going on without much going on, if that makes sense.

Back in a fortnight.

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

Here are the latest prices.

Vetch is in the bracket of $500 and $650 a tonne.

Cereal Hay ranges from $420 to $585 a tonne.

Lucerne Hay ranges from $495 to $625 a tonne.

Clover & Rye Hay is selling around $550 a tonne.

Straw is making anywhere from $120-$300 a tonne to $220 a bale.

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

Paul Grayling - Mallee, Vic-based

Paul said - The Hay Job has somewhat backed off with some areas which are seeing some slow-growing green feed, and with destocking, we are mainly seeing parcels of a more reasonable price shifting. My thoughts are that the new season Hay will start a fair bit softer than recent or current pricing indicates. I have also noticed the premium-priced Hay, if not matched with Premium Quality, isn't going anywhere. Hopefully, a correction is not too far away, and buyers will see some balance in the job. There is still good money in selling Hay as all varieties are bringing in a higher than average price, but I believe the sting has/will really come out of it, which makes it more sustainable for buyers. As $350+ m/t for Cereal is more realistic than $550+ m/t moving into the New Season.

Shane Ruyg - Qld-based

Shane said - A quieter fortnight on the Hay and Straw job with limited enquiry, mostly around Straw. Many are reluctant to spend larger amounts at the moment, preferring to wait for some green pick and pasture growth. Most are also holding out for more rainfall and are planning to strip Hay this coming season to shed for their own use, particularly with the forecast of an El Niño in 2026

Mike Pickard - On the road

Mike said - Talking to a couple in the Feedlot industry, smaller Feedlots are looking to contract paddocks of Straw early in the season to keep supplies going, especially in Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland. Inquiry for Hay at current pricing has dried up. Farmers are now facing a green drought where the pick is starting to come through, and money is a little tight. With some Farmers unloading Livestock, so are less reliant on buying in product.

Jim Oehms - Northern Country, Vic-based

Jim said - The Hay job has slowed down a bit in the past week, but in saying that, there are still a few parcels being taken, but not in the quantities that have been over the past month. I am finding that the higher-priced Hay/Straw is a little stagnant, and most are looking for the cheaper stuff. Most varieties are being looked at, such as Cereals, Vetch, a bit of Lucerne, and then you have Straw and Silage. There have been quite a few I have been speaking to about what we think Hay and prices will do from now on as well. There is a bit of hit and miss in areas with growth as well. Some I have spoken to said that there have been Crops only about a few inches out of the ground, whereas in other places they are nearly up to the fence line. It will be very interesting to see what will happen in the next few weeks, I think. Remember, if you are looking to buy Hay, to inspect beforehand and if you are looking to sell Hay, to have a feed test done.

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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