Baleage has nearly doubled in price to $100 a bale, as the effects of the dry weather start biting deeper.
Dairy farmers trying to maintain cow condition in the hope of an autumn flush are underpinning the rising baleage price.
Last year, top quality baleage sold for about $55 a bale.
PGG-Wrightson dairy livestock representative Paul Thomson said the dry summer meant there was a shortage of baleage made, but plenty of demand. Rather than drying cows off because of dry weather, some farmers were maintaining condition in the hope of autumn rain encouraging pasture growth.
The price for winter grazing for dairy cows has also increased about $4 a cow a week, to between $22 and $24.
Mr Thomson said he expected an increase from about $18 last year to $20, but said supply and demand and the dry weather has resulted in an increase higher than expected.
Fortunately, he said, winter crops were well established, helped by rain just before Christmas.
‘‘They've got away to a good start. They've got good leaf, which is keeping moisture in the ground.''
Some farmers have been selling small bales of hay for $6, up from $4 or $5 a bale last year with talk they could go higher.
Meanwhile, mites were damaging some regrowth summer brassica crops at the Meat and Wool New Zealand North Otago Monitor farm, compounding a feed shortage.
AgFirst consultant Bruce McCorkindale said the attack was having a significant effect on some crops and would need to be controlled by spray to stop the small but mobile mites spreading further.
‘‘The leaves look like they are drying up and going crinkly and they lose a lot of their colour as the mites go from cell to cell sucking out the contents.
‘‘Farmers in the area are advised to check their crops as feed is short and we cannot afford to waste it by feeding it to pests,'' Mr McCorkindale said.