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Niche market for frosted hay

The West Australian

Lucrative markets for wheaten hay have taken some of the sting out of the frosts which affected WA crops in early September.

Gilmac Hay general manager Munro Patchett said his company had been buying hay from farmers who were affected by frosts, particularly around York and further east.

He estimated that Gilmac - WA's largest hay exporter - had bought around 4500-5000ha of frost-affected wheat hay this season. Mr Patchett said although it varied considerably according to the area and individual farm, most crops would yield 3-4 tonnes of hay per hectare and Gilmac was paying around $200 per tonne depending on the grade.

He said the main markets were Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and he expected the WA industry would send around 30,000 metric tonnes this year to these markets.

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