READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
Driving Prices Up
- South Australia and South West Victoria continue to be unseasonably dry with limited pasture feeding available. SA has seen additional rains which are beginning to have a response from pastures but this will require more time to become viable for feed.
- Vetch and cereal hay continues to be in high demand, with comments indicating there is limited supply available in the market. Exporters appear to have put some upward pressure on prices especially in SA. Lucerne continues to be available, but is at a high cost in many areas.
- Demand is strong as expected at this time of year as the onset of cooler winter conditions slow pasture growth. While recent rains are welcomed in dry areas, it will do little to build pastures before winter, so a feed gap is still expected. This is exacerbated by some fodder producers holding back additional supply for their own use.
Driving Prices Down
- Conditions in WA continue to improve with more pastures becoming available for grazing and reducing some demand. However producers are still looking to rebuild storage and ensure a steady availability over winter so prices are remaining stable.
- Older fodder supplies remain available on the market as producers clear out sheds to meet demand, some of this is quite low quality which is reducing the overall price point, however this hay is usually weather damaged from previous seasons and has usage in mixes and roughage only.
Local News
- The recent rainfall which has aided WA and parts of SA was not as widespread as producers in SA and the South West of Victoria would have liked, and those areas remain fairly dry with limited pasture availability. In contrast parts of Gippsland are seeing excellent pasture growth and availability.
- Tasmania’s dry conditions continue for most of the state and supplies are running low. Fodder continues to be sourced from the mainland, but the process can be slow due to biosecurity measures.
- Vetch and cereal hay continues to be in limited supply in some areas, most notably in the Central West of NSW, Victoria and southern SA where there is a demand from dairy farmers.
- The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently neutral. Sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific have been cooling since December 2023. This surface cooling is supported by a cooler than average sub-surface in the central and eastern Pacific. During June, the rate of cooling has decreased. La Niña Watch is in effect due to early signs that an event may form in the Pacific Ocean later in the year. A La Niña Watch does not guarantee La Niña development, only that there is about an equal chance of either ENSO neutral or a La Niña developing. Early signs of La Niña have limited relevance to mainland Australia and are better reflections of conditions in the tropical Pacific.
- Buyers are encouraged to feed test and view fodder before purchase to be sure of the quality of feed.