Market Update

Our inspectors provide a market update and insight for the week commencing 2 December 2024.

Northern Market Update

Good falls of rain throughout northern NSW and well into QLD have boosted summer pastures, summer forages started with irrigation are not far from being grazed or cut for hay or silage. Finding the right window of drying weather proving most difficult at this time with thunderstorms floating around most afternoons. These storms are causing delays and downgrading any cereal crops yet to be harvested also significantly downgrading any hopes of baling straw.

Central Queensland has seen some storms but seem isolated to strips leaving dry areas between and farmers wondering when their turn will come, all coastal areas from north Queensland to southern NSW have seen exceptional falls. This is having a negative effect on hay demand.

All straw, cereal hay and protein hays are in good supply with future cuts of Lucerne looking exceptional with good rainfall. Expecting to see nice Rhodes grass hay, millet and sorghum hay coming in good supply when the weather finds up.

Southern Market Update

Widespread rain continues to hamper harvest efforts in the Southern Riverina and down into Victoria. Most producers are on the back end of harvest. These rains have brought relief to graziers after a drier than average spring, particularly in Victoria and the South Coast of NSW. These rains have brought the promise of large quantities of dry land lucerne over the coming months, this combined with low demand currently will see a build-up of protein hay unless growers look to trade more lambs.

Cereal hay remains in large supply with demand also lower than average. Any straw made in the central Riverina and north may be the best quality we will see with straw in the south rain affected header tailings and even windrowed straw where moisture sits in the node and sends colouring off will be more typical of the product we will see in the south.