Multi-award winner Josh Lanyon of Lanyon Hay Making.

THREE Victorian farmers have made the best hay crops in Australia, earning national recognition in the 2018 Feed Central National Hay Quality competition.

Josh Lanyon of Boort, Col Radcliffe of Kerang and Tom Acocks of Rochester have all won national titles in the competition which recognise and encourage growers to aim for high quality hay.

Mr Lanyon, of Lanyon Hay Making Boort, continued a remarkable run of success in the competition. He has won national and state titles every year since 2015.

This year, Mr Lanyon had the best visual appearance vetch hay crop in Australia and also won the Victorian titles for the best cereal visual appearance and feed analysis.

Brett and Robyn Radcliff accepted the Tyisha Pastoral Company’s award for the best vetch feed analysis crop.

Mr Radcliffe, of Tyisha Pastoral Company Kerang, was named national winner for the best vetch feed analysis crop. He also had Victoria’s best Lucerne feed analysis test.

Mr Acocks, of M and H Acocks Rochester, had Australia’s best visual appearance Lucerne crop.

The national winners also won the Victorian titles for their respective categories.

Winning Rochester hay maker Tom Acocks.

The Feed Central National Hay Quality awards cover the 2017-18 season and more than 400 lots were judged across Australia.

Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said the overall quality had returned to normal following a low-quality season the previous year.

Mr Ford said the awards were designed to encourage all producers to make the best possible hay and to honour the best in the business.

“The quality of hay has a direct impact on the performance of livestock and it’s always more profitable to eat good quality hay.

“With dairy cattle in particular, good quality hay will have a dramatic improvement in milk production and beef cattle also respond better,” he said.

“Good quality hay makes money for the end user.

“It’s important as an industry that we improve the quality of hay.”

Mr Ford said the Feed Central National Hay Quality competition was the only one of its type based on commercial quantities and qualities. The feed test category is based on energy and protein analysis.

Hay listed with Feed Central in preparation for sale is inspected on-farm by a certified Feed Central inspector and is eligible for entry in the competition.

More details can be found at www.feedcentral.com.au.  Feed Central aims to connect buyers and sellers of fodder and buys, sells and tests hay, grain, silage, straw, by-product and fertiliser.