HAY prices continue to languish as many farmers benefit from favourable pasture growth this autumn.
The combination of summer rain and mild April weather has led to a boom in pasture production, particularly in southwest Victoria.
Cold nights and shorter days are now slowing this production.
Hay sellers hope this will sponsor some increased buying in the coming months.
Sellers are quoting rain-damaged vetch hay in paddock stacks from $150 a tonne on-farm.
A few producers still have some higher-quality vetch hay for sale.
These parcels, testing as high as 15 per cent protein and 10 units of ME, are available for $210 a tonne on-farm or $270 a tonne delivered to Gippsland.
Hay traders report that of all the types of hay on the market, the demand for good-quality vetch hay has been the most consistent this season.
Surplus pasture growth and the amount of fodder conserved last spring have encouraged farmers to sell surplus silage.
In Gippsland, round bales of silage and hay are being offered for $50-$60 per bale.
This makes silage an expensive option for livestock producers.
Even though silage can be higher in energy and the bales weigh more, the additional moisture can mean that silage will cost buyers as much as 25 per cent more on a dry matter basis.
Given the fall in hay prices, some are questioning their future as hay producers.
There appears to be a good chance many farmers will be unable to clear stocks of hay this winter and will be carrying some stocks through to next season.
While rotations limit wholesale changes to planting intentions, growers in the central highlands are showing a preference for canola over oaten hay.
Agronomists report that growers are sowing a greater proportion of paddocks early this season.
Earlier this month, many paddocks had dry top soil but seeds were sown into moisture.
By sowing less country to hay crops, producers are acting now to avoid producing more hay in the coming season.
This factor may influence the prospects for hay next season.
Hay exporters are rarely able to provide firm cash prices for new season's oaten hay. Despite this, the current season has given producers a greater faith in the export markets than domestic.
