HAY growers from Kyabram, Charlton and Boort and a baler from Timmering have won national awards for making the best hay in Australia.
The Feed Central National Hay Quality Competition, the first of its type for large-scale commercial hay producers, is giving more than $10,000 in prizes to reward growers who produce high quality hay.
The award winners were announced recently by Feed Central during the Australian Fodder Industry Association national fodder conference in Adelaide.
A total of 753 lots weighing 180,000 tonnes were inspected during the competition which ran between September 1 last year and June 30. The average lot size was 240 tonnes.
Kyabram grower Frank Fanning shared the Victorian and national awards for the best Lucerne visual appearance with baler Alex Peacock from Peacock’s Hay Contracting in Timmering.
Charlton growers Ian and Matt Olive from Adelaide Farm Pty Ltd won the Victorian and national best vetch feed analysis awards, and the best Victorian and national visual appearance vetch was grown by Josh Lanyon of Lanyon Hay Making at Boort.
The best Victorian cereal visual appearance crop was grown by Roger and Rowan Hickson of Goornong, and the best cereal feed analysis came from Jeff Herrmann at Nhill. The best Lucerne feed analysis in Victoria was won by Brett and Courtney Vallender of Nathalia.
Feed Central Managing Director Tim Ford said the competition promoted the importance of good quality hay and recognised the excellent work of growers.
“This is the first time that large scale commercial hay producers have had an opportunity to compete on a national basis for recognition of their hard work and quality produce,” Mr Ford said.
Mr Ford said the inaugural competition attracted top quality entries.
“Overall we had a good dry spring and hot dry summer nationwide which resulted in good quality hay being available,” he said.
All hay submitted to the Feed Central hay inspection system is automatically entered in the competition and assessed for visual appearance and feed content.
Hay that looks the colour of a $100 note will be well graded on visual appearance, while high metabolisable energy (ME) and protein will result in a good feed test. A minimum of 10 ME is considered exceptional hay.
Mr Ford said more growers were recognising the value of producing good quality hay.
“The fodder industry is big business and there can be a significant price difference between getting it right and getting it wrong,” he said.
“High quality hay means more money for a supplier and better outcomes for end users.
“For example, what a dairy farmer feeds today directly impacts the amount of milk they produce tomorrow.”
