Hay Report - Water finds it's level and so will Hay prices

For the fortnight up to the 24th of September 2025.

By Dwain Duxson 

It depends on where you draw the line or which side of the fence you are on as to where you think new season Hay prices should be. Sellers are talking $350 or more for Cereal Hay ex Paddock, and buyers and saying, no, no, no it has to be $250 ex Paddock.

But what usually happens is it sorts itself out, and the ones that want to sell will have to meet the market, and the ones that want to buy will have to do the same. We think there will be enough buying and selling activity to sort out where the market is. Water finds its own level, and so will the Hay market.

This sort of toing and froing happens every year as people, and rightly so, look after their own business interests.

There is uncertainty around what's going to be cut for Hay and what's going to be left for Grain. Farmers will be watching the forecasts hard and taking a punt on their inaccuracies. Decisions will be made sooner rather than later.

It's a drawn-out old process, the Hay job at this time of year. By the time you cut it, let it cure, bale it up and then send the test away and get the results back, 6 weeks can pass, even longer. Then there is the process of getting it sold. Some will list it upon cutting, some will list it when it's in the bale, and others will wait until the test is done before they list. Whatever the case, you need to get it out the to get eyeballs on your parcels.

Demand levels will be interesting to watch and will be in the lap of the rain gods a little. Any sort of cut-off Spring will test the waters.

All the best money is in finished Livestock, even the older Ewes or Cows, they still have to be a good fat score to get the decent money. That weight gain game is one more and more are playing.

Another Elephant in the room for Hay prices is the drop in Grain prices. We say it regularly

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 $400 and $650 a tonne.

Cereal Hay ranges from $300 to $605 a tonne.

Lucerne Hay ranges from $350 to $615 a tonne.

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

Straw is making anywhere from $110-$300 a tonne.

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

Paul Grayling - Mallee, Vic-based

Paul said - This fortnight has seen a lot of talk about the new season's Hay and where it will start price-wise, and how much it will be around. All questions will be answered in due course. We are hearing of Crops being cut both out of necessity and planning. As for how much will be around that one is a tough question to answer, along with what the price will be. At this stage, it's all guesswork, albeit an educated guess. Freight and quality will be some of the big contributing factors on whether sales eventuate.

Shane Ruyg - Qld-based

Shane said - A very slow fortnight on the Hay job with only a handful of spot loads moving. What is selling is being discounted from the original asking prices, with some sellers lowering prices to clear out old stock. In Victoria and NSW, new season Hay, both Cereal and Vetch, has already been mowed down in some areas and is expected to be baled over the coming weeks. Early pricing reports suggest a range of $250–$450 ex paddock, with some listings already appearing on our site in anticipation.

Mike Pickard - On the road

Mike said - Sold a reasonably large parcel of Silage out of Northern New South Wales, going back to Victoria, managed to make it work due to a pretty competitive freight rate when using Loadshift. Other than that, the wait is on to see what the quality is like for the new season and how much there is actually going to be. A lot of crystal ball gazing at the moment. A lot of scenarios will come into play, the amount of Hay available versus the demand for it, as some Farmers have sold off stock, but on the other hand, Sheds are empty, so someone will want to fill the sheds back up.

Jim Oehms - Northern Country, Vic-based

Jim said - The Hay job has certainly quietened down a little with only smaller parcels here and there being taken. Cereal Hay and Straw are still pretty sought after, though. There are a lot querying what prices will do for this season's Hay, and I think that pricing will be more respectable than what has been over the past few months. There are some areas I have driven through in the Northern Country of Victoria that have some very good Canola Crops, which are over the fence lines and nice colour with only small patches of green. A bit more of that stuff from the sky would be very welcomed right now too. Silage and some Hay have started to be dropped as well. Remember, if you are looking at buying Hay, it would be best to inspect first before committing and if you are going to be selling, 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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