MEDIA RELEASE: NSW DPI Feed Quality Services
DATE: Friday 17 October, 2014
2014 NSW Hay and Silage Feed Quality Award presentation at Henty Machinery Field Days 25 September
Local Collingullie farmer, Mick Hansell, has taken out the top prize in the 2014 NSW Grasslands Society Hay and Silage Feed Quality Awards with top quality sub clover hay.
NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Katrina Hodgkinson presented Mr Hansell with the award at The Henty Machinery Field Days. She congratulated Mr Hansell on winning the award and producing outstanding sub clover hay. The Minister also presented Mr Hansell with an award for the best pasture hay of the competition.
The Minister also acknowledged sponsors of the awards, including Integrated Packaging, New Holland and Pioneer and all the growers who took the time to participate.
Based on feed quality analysis results from the NSW DPI Feed Quality Service at Wagga Wagga, the awards stress the importance of metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein available to stock in hay and silage.
The NSW DPI Feed Quality Service tested the prize winning hay at 16.8 per cent crude protein and 11.3 ME.
Feed testing takes the guess work out of putting a price on hay and silage for those buying or selling and allows producers to ensure feed quality matches the needs of their livestock.
This year there were 1220 entries representing cereal, lucerne, sorghum, pasture and maize silages and hays, so to be presented as an overall winner is an outstanding result. Samples must have be representative and must come from commercial lot size intended for
feeding to animals. Minimum lot size 5 tonnes of product.
Variable seasonal conditions, which can impact on plant production, highlight the importance of testing feed quality.
Mr and Mrs Hansell humbly accepted the award, and said his aim is to deliver the best quality hay for all his clients.
Large square bales of the prize winning hay were destined to feed race horses in the Sydney market.
The four-year old Woogenellup sub clover stand was treated with a single super phosphate application in autumn and sprayed for weed control prior to the cut in spring 2013. The top prize hay was from the second cut.
Mr Hansell was travelling across Australia when the awards were announced in July.
NSW DPI Feed Quality Service enquiries: pH 0269381957