The Evolving Hay Market: a discussion with Pat Guerin (Part 1)

Podcast This week, Jon Paul Driver is joined by Pat Guerin in a special two part episode to discuss some of the many opportunities in the Australian hay industry. The discussion covers the need for industry-wide standards, a shifting R&D focus towards animal performance, and tackling challenges like weather damage and drying processes. It also highlights the importance of collaborative growth in the export market.Pat Guerin has a strong technical background in the hay industry. His career includes managing large hay export facilities in South Australia and Western Australia, and a background in agronomy and animal nutrition.Episode Highlights:There are significant opportunities to increase the value from research and development investments. AgriFutures, the peak government body, oversees 16 different industries, managing their R&D strategic plans. R&D investments benefit the entire process chain, not just the grower or plant breeder.Over the past 10-20 years, there have been significant productivity increases in the grain sector, making hay less competitive in crop rotations.To achieve high yields and improve production quality, the hay growing system needs modification. Key components like optimising the plant's response to light and cold are not inbred in the oat and hay varieties used in Australia.There is room to improve production quality in the oat and hay industry by incorporating traits like photoperiodism and vernalisation, which are currently lacking in Australian varieties.Focusing on these areas presents an opportunity to achieve higher yield values alongside better quality.