What's Hot in Farming

By Dwain Duxson

In this week's Hay Report, we do a wrap of the Fodder Industry conference held last week in Toowoomba.

This is the time of the year when traditionally, sales lift as we head into the warmer months. We are starting to see evidence of that in the last few days as our daily enquiries lifted a fair bit. I know not everything is going right out there for everyone, and we have headwinds and a few dramatic unknowns, but we have recently seen a little uptick in confidence.

In our daily newsletter last week, I wrote about the Texas Angus (NSW) Bull sale, which grossed over $5.8 million for 209 head sold. I think this sale alone added some confidence to the Livestock industry, which was a little hesitant with the potential threat of FMD and LSD (understandably so). Sometimes, all it takes is for people to see others confident to realise that they too have to get in on the act or miss out. One Farmer said last week, "Farmers have still gotta Farm".

The Urea market is at fever pitch right now. Ellen, how sells our Fertiliser and Urea was smashed with phone enquiry yesterday and asked a variety of questions like, What do you have? When's it available? Any many more boats coming? Is the price going to drop? Etc. We will have a Fertiliser Report on Thursday in our daily newsletter. 

The overall trends were Urea, Sheep Handlers, Header Fronts (hard to find), Windrowers, SP & Trailing Boomsprays, Headers, Hay Rakes, Vetch Hay, Trailing Oat Feeders, Round Balers and Tipper Trailers.

On the Grain front, we sold Feed Oats for $225 and $230 a tonne, Feed Corn at $400 a tonne, Wheat for $375 a tonne, Feed Barley for $355 a tonne.

All prices are ex Farm.

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This is what the sales guys said happened this week:

Shane said - Definitely seeing more enquire and demand for Harvest gear. Pick-up Fronts are scarce, and lots are looking for one along with Headers. But as we know, the new market is hard work at the moment, and we have some sellers pulling their gear off the market as they are not going to get their new items in time. 

Wanted ads are working well with lots selling and being listed, so keep an eye out if you have something in the Shed that suits. There is no better time to sell.

Paul said - The last week has seen a few Utes move through the site, along with all the usual suspects being Tractors, Windrowers, Self Propelled Sprayers and Trailing booms. We have also seen a few Loads of Hay shifting, mostly in smaller parcels. The ever-tightening Header Front job still has lots of interest with more demand than supply. Also, seeing a few starting to beat the rush and secure Headers before Harvest is at the forefront of everyone's mind. 

Mike said - Freight is the talking point at the moment. The ability for freight companies to source drivers is the biggest issue with reports that some larger companies have upwards of 10 to 15 Trucks sitting idle because they cannot find drivers or people experienced enough.

Livestock Handling Equipment is very popular at the moment. We have a little bit of interest in Air Seeders for next year. There are a few good Headers on our books at the moment, a couple of nice New Holland ones, and a few Case Headers with low to medium hours and some John Deere machines too.

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Keep those listings coming and see what else sold here.

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