Hello Buyers!

It has been a cracker year! We want to thank you all for your support over 2016 and we look forward to partnering with you in 2017 and beyond!

Just finally, with the Hay Harvest season well underway we wanted to summarise the market and quality for you and let you know some important information that is happening within the industry.

The Market Wrap

  • Volume of cereal hay remains high. Quality is inconsistent, farm to farm.
  • Green, Green Cereal Hay ($100 note hay) is less than 10% of volume and will be highly sort after.
  • Straw is plentiful except on darling downs where short crops from late plantings are commonplace.
  • Lucerne supplies are tight short term but will increase in coming months.
  • CNSW lucerne have been flooded and wiped out. This area does influence the market with cheap & high quality dry land lucerne. Volumes are now decreased from this area compared to expectations in winter.
  • Demand is low with grass growing and the feedlot / dairy sectors are only buying smaller parcels.
  • Good buying opportunities exist to pick up parcels from motivated sellers.
  • Feed Central caution buying cheap parcels of hay without inspection.
2016/17 VISUAL QUALITY
  • Visual Quality, ie good green colour essential for attraction of animals.
  • Green Colour = Good Smell = High Attraction to the bunk.
  • This season weather has wet a large % of windrows reducing colour.
  • Many crops cut late and therefore colour lost prior to cutting.
  • Late cut crops have milky dough/hard seed posing risk for mice damage long term.
  • Weed control was delayed on some farms. Weeds can increase risk of high moisture.
  • Straw has also been discolored across many areas.
  • Feed Central recommends only hay and straw with a Visual Score of 600+ be used in feedlots.
  • 1st cut lucerne hays have often been cut late. Some have a high percentage of weeds.
  • Shed Storage is a necessity for long term quality supply: ensuring the visual score is retained.
2016/17 SEASON FEED ANALYSIS QUALITY
  • Cereal Hay protein levels are on average 8-8.5%.
  • Cereal Hay ME levels are on average 8-8.5%.
  • Fibre levels (NDF/ADF) are significantly higher than last year given tall crops and thick stems.
  • These levels are down from 9.5% last year!
We hope the above information was able to provide you with more knowledge to be able to make smart and informed buying decisions.

The Feed Central Account Management team are here to help you at all times.

Talk to the team at Feed Central Today

1300 669 429

Author

  • Neville Janke

    Neville Janke is a qualified agronomist and Horticulturist with over 20 years of experience guiding farmers in the Agricultural and Horticultural industries. With this experience, Neville has been helping long-term users of Hay and grain to experience the Feed Central way of sourcing quality Feed for hungry cattle.

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