MID-winter conditions are not spurring the demand for hay that sellers are so keen for.
Buyers are now making more inquiries and orders have been trickling in over the past four weeks.
But any surge in demand will be brief this season as the spring flush of feed is just around the corner.
Stocks of quality hay are now dwindling.
In fact, many hay sellers who have ongoing clients have sold out and are assisting those who are less connected to the market.
Nonetheless, there are abundant supplies of low-quality cereal hay available.
Many sellers understand that this will not be sold prior to the baling of new-season's hay.
Lower-quality cereal hay showing signs of weather damage and with energy levels of less than nine units of metabolisable energy is being traded into the Goulburn Valley at $120 to $130 a tonne delivered.
At the other end of the quality spectrum, shedded cereal hay without rain damage and energy of more than 9ME is up $10 a tonne this week to $160 a tonne delivered to Goulburn Valley dairy farms.
A similar trend has appeared in the higher-quality vetch hay market.
Vetch hay that was trading for $240 a tonne a month ago is now selling for $250 a tonne delivered to the Goulburn Valley.
Mallee hay producers are now asking for about $200 a tonne on farm for vetch testing 23 per cent protein and 11 ME while lower-quality lines, with 14 per cent protein and 7 ME, are available for as low as $150 a tonne.
Supplies of better-quality hay are being challenged by mice.
One disadvantage of storing hay has been the attraction of mice populations to the dry shelter of hay sheds.
Mice are also causing problems for hay exporters who cannot tolerate them in exported hay and straw.
Attention is now starting to focus on the new-season's hay crop.
Production of cereal hay is expected to be a major swing factor for supply, similar to last year.
With wheat prices pulling up all grain markets, frost damage and the threat of locusts could be reasons why grain growers would decide to cut their wheat and barley crops this season. Ongoing populations of both locusts and mice could have a major impact on the scale of production.
Although the conventional wisdom suggests that most hay and silage will be in the bale or pit before the planned locust hatchings in Victoria, if the weather is warmer, earlier hatchings in southern NSW are possible.
This means swarms could cross into Victoria in October.
