The first cut is in. And fortunately, we can start with some good news.
Thanks to the dry and sunny weather, the hay harvest has gone smoothly. The batches we've seen so far are of excellent quality: a lovely colour, properly dried and exactly how you want good hay to be.
Perhaps most notably, we've already found several excellent batches with a low sugar content this year. That's quite remarkable, as in previous dry years we often saw hay with high sugar levels. There are also batches with higher sugar levels this season, but fortunately, we've managed to find some with favourable analysis results too. Perhaps we've been a little lucky, but we're certainly very pleased.
Why we're still expecting higher hay prices
The quality of the first cut is good, but the situation on the European forage market is giving us cause for concern.
Large parts of Northwestern Europe have been experiencing exceptionally dry conditions for quite some time. In several regions, yields per hectare are therefore lower than usual. At the same time, the ongoing heat and drought are creating increasing uncertainty about the availability of sufficient forage. Several European agricultural organisations have also warned that the drought is putting pressure on forage production.
Because the drought is affecting such a large area, we expect demand for quality forage across Europe to be higher than average. We're already seeing the first signs of this. More and more farmers are choosing not to sell their hay just yet. They expect prices to rise further towards autumn and winter, so they're holding on to their stocks for now.
Transport costs are rising too
Alongside developments in the fields, we're also facing rising transport costs. The introduction of the new Dutch truck toll has noticeably increased transport costs. For hauliers, it's becoming more expensive to transport hay from the farmer to your stable. Ultimately, these additional costs are reflected in the selling price.
We believe it's important to be open about this.
Our advice: don't wait until autumn
We fully understand that rising prices aren't welcome news. Almost everything has become more expensive in recent years. VAT on forage in the Netherlands previously increased from 9% to 21%, and we've all experienced years of high inflation. Unfortunately, our industry is no exception.
That's exactly why we believe it's important to tell you clearly and in good time what we're seeing in the market.
Already know you'll need hay later this year? Then we'd recommend not waiting too long before placing your order. There are still some excellent batches available at prices that remain reasonable despite current developments. We expect that could change later in the season if demand continues to rise and supply becomes more limited.
That's why we're delighted to have added two excellent new batches to our webshop this week.
Take a look at the new hay batches in our shop:
FUCH Meadow Hay 2026 – First Cut – Large 90 cm Bale – Eastern Germany
(4SN1) Meadow Hay 2026 – 90 cm Large Square Bale – Just 5% Sugar
When choosing your hay, always check the analysis results for the specific batch. That way, you know exactly what you're buying and can choose hay that suits your animals' needs.
Whatever happens in the market, we'll keep searching for you
However tight the market becomes, we'll do everything we can to find the right quality hay for our customers. In previous years when hay was scarce, we travelled all across Europe to find the quality our customers needed. If that's what it takes again this season, we won't hesitate to do it.
Because only the best is good enough for your animals and for you. You can count on us.
Team Hay to You