National Summary
- There were few changes in the hay market across the nation this week as many regions continue to experience a lull in trading.
- To the North, on and off rainfall continues to provide a positive outlook for farmers by topping up pasture availability to add to an already strong supply of hay. Reports indicate good volumes of silage are also yet to be touched keeping most farmers focused on home grown fodder.
- The trend of an increased demand heading South continues this week as no relief came to ease dry conditions. Tight supply coupled with high priced fodder has restricted large changes to the market however, and sees a number of buyers sitting out of the market.
Northern Australia
- Heavy rainfall continues to bring relief to some drought affected areas of Queensland this week and is further topping up pasture supply throughout coastal regions.
- There continues to be good volumes of hay produced in the North, however most farmers are yet to think about purchased fodder and are focussing on home grown feed.
Southern Australia
- No relief was felt for the South’s driest regions with strong demand still coming from Gippsland and Tasmania.
- Throughout the majority of other Southern regions, the hay market has this week maintained its slow pace with many buyers either having secured enough feed for now or holding back from the market due to price. However we are continuing to see the impact of the tight supply situation in some areas of Victoria and Tasmania.
- It should be noted however that good volumes of hay are still available in some areas of Victoria and much of South East South Australia.
- Without an early autumn break we expect that there will be a number of farmers forced to re-enter the market as silage stocks run to an end more quickly than expected.
Western Australia
- There were no changes in price this week however, with demand increasing and a number of farmers now planning ahead for the cooler months, this expected to change in the coming weeks.
- Reports indicate there could be some supply issues come winter with indications that there is less hay available on the domestic market this year.
Regional Commentary
Atherton Tablelands
- Good pasture availability continues to see home grown fodder take precedence over purchased feed in the Atherton Tablelands keeping the hay market generally slow.
- Between on and off rain, good volumes of Rhodes grass are being produced. Quality is reported to be variable and careful inspection is recommended when purchasing fodder.
- Most farmers in the region expect that the market will see little change until cattle mustering starts in the coming months or demand from the live cattle export trade increases.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($300 to $400/t). Prices remain steady this week with the large price spread reflecting the increased cost of producing irrigated hay.
Darling Downs
- The low demand for purchased fodder continues in the region driven by positive outlook after a charmed season for growing.
- Growers in the region continue to focus on summer crops between harvesting lucerne and rhodes grass.
- Reports indicate that the only real interest in the market is coming from beef producers taking advantage of strong cattle prices to source and store fodder early.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($300 to $340/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($430 to $480/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($140 to $180/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($260 to $310/t). Prices remain steady this week.
North Coast NSW
- There was no change in hay prices for the region this week with rainfall continuing to top up already good pasture availability.
- Most farmers also have good volumes of silage adding to the limited need for purchased fodder.
- Reports indicate that there the regular levels of enquiries for pasture hay but little is moving.
- Due to the seemingly routine rainfall over the region there have been some issues with hay quality. AFIA recommends careful inspection of fodder upon purchased to ensure quality.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($260 to $310/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($300 to $350/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($110 to $130/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 (130 to 180/t). Prices remain steady this week.
Central West NSW
- The region’s hay market remained slow this week with limited demand and reports that indicate not much hay moving.
- There have been comments which indicate that if the region experiences a late autumn break prices could rise once again catching out some buyers now sitting out of the market.
- Less hay was made this year in the region in contrast to the bumper season experienced toward the coast.
- Reports indicate that the majority of remaining fodder for sale is weather damaged. Therefore careful inspection is recommended.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($200 to $260/t). Prices remained steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($280 to $380/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($130 to 150/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 N/A. There are no reports of pasture trading.
Bega Valley
- Once again this week the Bega region saw no change in prices again and little hay moving due to good pasture and silage availability.
- Consistent rainfall has resulted in a bumper season for the region however; it did result in some quality issues with hay. AFIA advises careful inspection when purchasing fodder.
- Despite good availability of pasture at present we recommend that farmers be sure to take into account a long term feed budget and plan during colder months.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($230 to $280/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($330 to $380/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($160 to $180/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($240 to $260/t). Prices remain steady this week.
Goulburn/Murray Valley
- With most hay in the region now accounted for there was no change in the market this week.
- Most local buyers have stored enough fodder for the coming months and little demand is coming from the beef sector.
- There are good volumes of both cereal hay and straw heading to Gippsland where demand remains high.
- Reports indicate some growers are sitting on weather damaged hay (dry cow hay) and hoping for upwards of $150/t, however there is little being traded at this point in time.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($190 to $240/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($300 to $340/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($100 to $130/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($150 to $170/t). Prices remain steady this week.
Gippsland
- Continued strong demand and freight costs in Southern and Central Gippsland have resulted in a price rise this week.
- Many dairy farmers in this part of the region have been forced into overdraft to buy fodder and are looking at cheaper feed alternatives alongside to hay.
- Throughout the remainder of the region to the East including the Macalister Irrigation District farmers report good pasture and silage availability.
- Cereal hay: +$5 ($250 to $310/t). Prices rose this week
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($340 to $410/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +$5 ($130 to $200/t). Prices rose this week.
- Pasture hay: +$5 ($160 to $240/t). Prices rose this week.
Southwest Victoria
- There were no price changes this week in the region with reports indicating a slower week.
- There are still predictions that both demand and price will lift in the coming weeks as farmers feed out of silage.
- There has been a slight increase in the demand for protein hay however it remains in tight supply. Vetch is available for upwards of $350/t and lucerne prices have increased slightly as growers make the most of their last cuts.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($240 to $270/t). Prices remained steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($300 to $360/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($110 to $130/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($180 to $220/t). Prices remain steady this week however there is little to no pasture hay available in the region due to the short 2015 season.
Southeast South Australia
- Despite the good volumes of quality fodder available in the region there is little being traded at the present time. This is due to either farmers having now stored enough hay for the season ahead or the tight cash flow positions of buyers limiting the ability to purchase hay in the region.
- In order to sell fodder, growers have been forced to drop prices to get hay moving evident in this week’s easing of prices
- Reports indicate that with good beef prices a number of beef producers have sold cattle and now require less fodder. This has had the impact of keeping the hay market slow.
- With good supply still in available for purchase, in the coming weeks this could see hay from this region become attractive to buyers as other region’s stocks grow tighter.
- Cereal hay: -$5 ($210 to $250/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: -$15 ($250 to $340/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($110 to $130/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($160 to $240/t). Prices remain steady this week.
Central South Australia
- There were no changes to hay prices in the region again this week due to limited trading on the domestic market.
- There are a number of trucks moving hay in the region however this is mostly for the export market and not impacting on current prices.
- Reports indicate that we could see some unexpected changes in demand in the coming weeks as buyer currently focussing on fire recovery re-enter he market.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($200 to $250/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($280 to $320/t). Prices remain steady this week with equal levels of interest in vetch and medic hay.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($110 to $120/t). Prices remain steady this week however given the impact of the fires there may be shortages of straw into 2016.
- Pasture hay: N/A. No reported trading.
Southwest Western Australia
- There were no changes in price again this week despite growing interest in purchased fodder.
- Reports indicate that at this stage supply is meeting demand. This has been helped along by summer rainfall providing generally good pasture availability.
- Demand from the export sector continues to underpin and dominate the domestic market.
- Prices and demand are expected to increase in the future when pasture availability begins to run out and the weather cool off.
- Cereal hay: +/- $0 ($230 to $290/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($470 to $520/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($90 to $110/t). Prices remain steady this week; however this is based on limited trading.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($160 to 200/t). Prices remain steady this week.
Northwest Tasmania
- Strong demand for hay continues in Tasmania however, due to its scarcity only small amounts are trading resulting in no price change this week.
- We continue to hear reports of hay being offered at prices that are generally considered unviable to anyone with a commercial focus. This is typically for small parcels of hay for lifestyle usage however it is having a distorting impact on the market.
- There is talk of rain in the coming weeks, which will be well received.
- Silage is available and is trading at around $450-500/t.
- Buyers with a known need for hay in 2016 are advised to contact suppliers as soon as possible to ensure their needs can be met.
- Cereal hay: +/-$0 ($250 to $300/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Lucerne hay: +/-$0 ($335 to $370/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Straw: +/-$0 ($170 to $200/t). Prices remain steady this week.
- Pasture hay: +/-$0 ($250 to $280/t). Prices remain steady this week.