Hay Report - Limping our way to a new Hay Season

For the fortnight up to the 23rd of July 2025.

By Dwain Duxson 

As the south (SA, Vic, Southern NSW and Tas) starts to see a little (very little) bit of growth, and with some decent rain expected on Friday and Saturday, we might just see a good start to spring. And with that will come some hope of a half-decent new Hay season. A lot of water has to pass under the bridge, and a lot of things will have to go right, but where there's life, there's hope. The forecast in these above-mentioned areas is also looking quite positive.

In these dry start and tight years, any little bit of gain seems and feels like incremental progress, and if you can't connect the increments or you miss one, it can mean it all falls over and the gains you made are lost. But to get to point B, you need to have a good rain at point A, and then when C comes along, you are that little step closer to an outcome. I'm probably confusing people here by explaining it this way, but it's where we are at right now. And this catch-up, incremental type process is the only way it can happen. Why? Because we are coming from a long way back.

Growth will come very soon in a lot of spots when it warms up, and that's when we will need stages D, E, F & G to happen pretty close to each other in a tight bunching. Get through that, and we will have a new Hay season that will give us something.

Let's keep stringing those increments together.

We have seen a $25 to $50 rise for Vetch and Lucerne Hay in the last fortnight.

We are starting to see areas in the North that looked alright 2 or 3 weeks ago starting to show signs of dryness. More on that in the next edition.

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 $625 (500 per bale) a tonne.

Lucerne Hay ranges from $495 to $650 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 last fortnight has seen some more Hay being listed on the site with mixed results, as buyers have reached a point where they are crunching numbers, and with the added cost of freight, meaning some lots just don't add up. We have also seen some rain in areas that normally make people think twice about laying out big dollars for Fodder. We are seeing Cereal and Vetch Hay moving, albeit on a load-by-load basis. There are starting to be a few questions about pricing for new season Hay, but at this stage, there aren't many answers.

Shane Ruyg - Qld based

Shane said - After a relatively quiet week in the Hay and Straw market, we've seen a noticeable uptick in enquiries, likely driven by the forecast of widespread rain later this week. Encouragingly, some areas have already recorded decent falls, and the outlook suggests a general rain event across SA and VIC — including regions that are in desperate need of a solid drink. This potential rainfall couldn't come at a better time. Hay supplies in VIC and SA have tightened significantly, with stock now being trucked in from WA and QLD. Prices are starting in the high $500–$600 range, which is clearly unsustainable, and we're beginning to see resistance at these levels from buyers. Let's hope that by the time of our next report, this rain event has materialised, confidence has improved, and the sector begins to see a much-needed lift after a challenging 12–18 months.

Mike Pickard - On the road

Mike said - Hay inquiries have slowed up to a degree, still selling spot loads for those who require and if the freight is reasonable. Western areas of New South Wales, especially along the Darling River, are dry, and they are chasing a little bit of Hay there in those areas as well. Hay is still being dragged out of the Northern Territory and going into areas of South Australia. Also hearing there is an 84-truck convoy on its way from Western Australia towards SA, all donated Hay.

Jim Oehms - Northern Country, Vic based

Jim said - The Hay job is still in full swing at the moment, with all varieties being sought after. Straw and Silage/Haylage are also popular. From what I have been told, the SE of Vic is looking not too bad right now as the past rains have greened things up a bit, but still a long way to go. Prices are starting to creep up also, and I would suggest that when you are looking at a listing that you make sure that you check that the Hay is a per MT or per bale rate, as this has caught some out previously. There is some good rainfall predicted in areas that need it over the next week, so I hope this falls in your area. Remember, if you are looking at buying hay, to inspect first, and if you are looking at selling your Hay, to get 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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