The Land: Branding bales shakes up trading

INQUIRY for hay has begun earlier than usual this year, with producers looking for high-quality, feed-tested options.

And one "hay brand" is capitalising on this, moving away from the commodity market with their hay production, selling through their website and using social media.

Seasonal conditions – too dry in some parts and too wet in others – combined with high livestock prices, have pushed up demand.

Feed Central Local Ag national sales manager Dave Clothier said this year had started out a little different, and NSW led the charge on inquiry - not just southern or western regions but all over - while Victorian demand was also growing.

"There is still plenty of hay out there but inquiry is starting to lift, as is the price, especially for quality protein and cereal hay," he said.

"Demand has been building since mid-December, and jumped again after a forecast rain event didn't happen."

Mr Clothier said there was some extra hay produced by "opportunistic" growers, but many of those were holding off selling, in case it was needed for their own stock.

He said the market would stay strong with a growing national herd, and particularly need in the expanding feedlot sector.

"Livestock are worth money, the wool sector is strong, which gives the confidence to feed," he said.

"At this time of year, it's a long time to the new season, and lines of quality hay can sell at good prices."

He said holding out might lead to fewer options, higher prices and higher freight costs.

Australian Fodder Industry Association executive officer Vanessa Curtis said pricing trends changed across the different locations and varieties.

She said with wheat prices low, a number of producers had switched to cutting crops for hay rather than grain, while some producers would also consider feeding grain rather than hay – although nutritional mixes needed to be considered.

Generally, cereal hay prices were lower than a year ago on the North Coast and Goulburn Murray regions, but prices had increased in the Bega Valley and Central West regions.

Bega particularly had a spike in straw, almost $100/t higher than the year prior, up to $250/t, while it was stable in most other areas.

At Boridgeree, Canowindra, Charlie Blomfield and Eleanor Falkiner are doing things a little differently with their "hay brand" GreatHAY.

Mr Blomfield said there were two major markets in their hay sector, both of which they were targeting.

"Typical livestock fodder, which is heavily influenced by the season, drought or too wet," he said. "The equine market is typically more stable and generally the top-end hay. Like any ag business, you've got to have irons in the fire - a market can change on a dime."

He said equine customers did not just want lucerne hay, but lucerne hay of a specific protein, and to know they could get a reliable supply.

As a result, they feed test and grade all their hay, sharing the information on their GreatHAY website.

Mr Blomfield said with such an emphasis on quality and consistency, storage was important, with fully enclosed, insulated sheds allowing them to "deliver the same quality, year-round".

They have access to high-security irrigation with the Belubula River, which helped get them through the "hot, dry summer", as well as "less reliable" access to Carcoar Dam.

But even this could be at risk with a potential 35 per cent reduction to water availability in the longterm extraction limits of the Belubula.

With their emphasis on branding, Mr Blomfield said they were able to stay away from the "big swings" in market prices.

They set a price for the year, which allows their customers to know the cost for the year.

To help get established, Mr Blomfield and Ms Falkiner set up social media profiles, building an audience of about 44,000 followers across different platforms.

"It's about trust-building and being able to tell your story," Mr Blomfield said.

He said this also helped during recruiting, with a call for staff leading to 60 applicants.

He said employees want to know "who they're working with, is it a good place to work, what are the values?".

Sometimes the videos are updates on the hay, sometimes it is parodies about where food comes from, with their series about the "true origins" of jelly beans and other products getting a staggering 12 million views.

More recently, he had a video talking about sexual harassment in agriculture.

"Once you've got a platform, there is a responsibility to use that platform for good," he said.

"It's not all about selling product."

Mr Blomfield said that video had about 750,000 views but, more importantly, had high engagement and led to him getting hundreds of messages.

"That engagement says the problem is there and it's not being talked about in other media, or is only in a study, which goes over the head of the people who need to hear it," he said.

Anderson, E. 2026. Branding bales shake up trading. The Land p7 26/02/2026. https://www.theland.com.au/story/9177371/australian-farmers-face-early-hay-demand-boost-on-back-of-season/