Hay Market Demand And Price Report For The Upper Midwest As of March 7 , 2016

Mar 09, 2016

Demand and Sales Activity

Overall h ay price was steady to $5.00 per ton stronger th a n the previous report . Currently supply exceed s demand and lower quality hay is the majority of the supply . S mall square bale alfalfa continues to demand a premium pri ce regardless of quality .

For Nebraska , the bulk of the hay sold steady with light to moderate demand . The talk this week is baling corn stalks with improved weather . There is good demand for grin d ing hay.

For Iowa , w eak er prices this week reflected the quality of hay at the auction, mostly lower quality . Bedding prices were weaker with warmer temperatures expected the next week.

In South Dakota , hay traded on a mostly steady market with li ght interest and demand . M a rkets discounted low quality hay. Warm temperatures have created some diffic ulty in moving hay and bedding as some road weight limits are in place . Best demand is for grinding hay and average quality alfalfa or alfalfa/grass hay . Very little inquiry for high testing hay as milk prices are around $14.00.

For Missouri, warmer weather has cattlemen looking for green grass rather than feeding stored feed . Inte rest in buying hay is slow with few sales actually occurring . Farmers in the hay business have discontinued the hay ad , because of so little demand . Hay supply is moderate , demand is light, and prices are steady.

In Southwest Minnesota, only lower quality hay offered at auction this week . Prices were steady for the quality offered. Straw market was str ong.

For Illinois, hay d emand was moderate to good with steady pricing , large square bales were discounted this week. Many producers are not concerned as they have inventory to get them into spring and hope for a better hay season this year . Straw is in demand in the north and central regio ns.

In Wisconsin , hay supply exceeds demand at most auctions . Excessive l ower quality hay is available and prices may be discounted . As in other markets , small lots of small square bales have a good demand and better price compared to large packaged hay .

Straw prices are st eady with price reflecting the quality of the straw . S mall square bale price dropped about $0 .50 per bale and averaged $ 2 . 4 5 a bale (range of $ 1 . 0 0 to $6.00) . L arge square bale price saw an increase of $15.00 a bale this week , with an average price of $ 46 . 0 0 per bale (range of $ 18 . 00 to $ 5 1 .00); and large round bale s w ere $ 4 .00 lo wer compared to the last report with an av erage price $ 28 .00 per bale ( range of $ 20 .00 - $ 55 .00 per bale ) .

Source:uwex.edu

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.