Alabama Grower Reports Steady Bermuda Hay Prices

Nov 25, 2014

Top-quality small squares of bermudagrass hay average $5/bale sold out of Thomas Ridgeway’s Circle R Farms, Fyffe, AL. Small rounds of the high-end grass price out at $50/bale.

Those prices, currently at what they were last year, could increase with demand as temperatures go down, he says.

“We’ve already had some February weather here in November. We’ve been down in the teens and had some high temperatures in the low 30s. If that keeps up, stocks may not be high for a lot longer.”

Besides small squares from 84 bermudagrass acres, Ridgeway also produces large round bales of cool-season grass hay on 600 acres. Most of his bermudagrass is earmarked for the local horse market, and the round bales have already been sold to beef producers.

Pests were the biggest challenge this growing season, Ridgeway reports.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.