Richard Baker's cereal and canola hay has been crowned the best in Australia after taking out both the national and state awards in the 2018-19 Feed Central National Hay Quality Awards.

He scored the highest hay feed test analysis as well as the best cereal hay visual appearance score.

Mr Baker said he was been producing hay crops for decades at his 3200 hectare property but the demand "has definitely increased".

"We are chasing hay pretty hard at the moment," he said.

"We have three balers and six trucks which run hay up to northern NSW and Queensland.

"There has been an increase in demand, especially up north where it has been pretty dry.

"We have been buying and selling through Feed Central for about 12 years and they come down and do independent tests on our hay.

"We knew we had good quality hay but didn't think it would be the best in the country."

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Mr Baker said conditions in southern NSW are "pretty good" at the moment for producing hay.

"Frosts make high quality hay crops, combined with a lot of fertilisers," he said.

"It is looking good at the moment."

Lochie Donald from Mulwala also took out the best lucerne hay feed test analysis at the awards which were announced in Queensland by Australian Fodder Industry Association chief executive John McKew.

Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said the annual awards had been heavily impacted by drought, but some producers had "defied the conditions" to produce good quality hay.

"We were very impressed by the efforts of some growers to excel despite the drought," he said.

"With record high prices and a very aggressive selling season.

"They could have sold their product at any quality, but they went to great effort to make good quality hay.

"Dry conditions always make good quality hay but we haven't had the quantity this year."

The awards recognise and encourage growers to aim for high quality hay.

"They help to set a benchmark of quality that will improve the consistency of hay in Australia which leads to better returns for suppliers and better outcomes for end users," Mr Ford said.