Hay need high with tight season

Mr Turnbull crops about 6300 hectares and hay is becoming a very important part of his program, especially to control resistant weeds. He said  there had been growing interest in hay production in his local area on the Lower EP, especially with farmers trying to retain or grow stock numbers on the back of exceptional livestock returns.

“Last year I did more hay contracting locally than ever before,” he said.

But despite the growing interest in hay production in his local area, Mr Turnbull believes supplies will be tight for some time, especially due to competition from high grain prices this season. While the Lower EP’s season is generally travelling well, not far north rainfall has been very limited. Mr Turnbull said even in the more fortunate areas of the EP, the season was still in the balance.

“While crops around here are looking really good at this stage, there’s no sub soil moisture underneath, so it could go either way,” he said. “We’ve had well-timed falls, but nothing bigger than 30 millimetres.”

Realising the fortunate position he is in this season, Mr Turnbull is offering barley straw at cost price to farmers in surrounding EP areas to try and help them through the dry time.

“It would be great if others could get on board and offer something, if they are lucky enough to be in a good area this year, to help other farmers in a less fortunate position,” he said.