U.S. Hay Prices Decline Again In August

Sep 12, 2014

U.S. alfalfa and all-hay prices dropped, on average, by $7/ton last month, according to the USDA’s Aug. 28 Agricultural Prices report.

The alfalfa and all-hay August prices, nationwide, were $209/ton and $185/ton, respectively, compared to July’s $216/ton for alfalfa and $192/ton for all hay.

The decline came on the heels of $6 and $5/ton decreases in alfalfa and all-hay average prices, respectively, from June to July.

The good news for commercial hay growers is that prices continue to be higher than they were last year at this time. The current average price for alfalfa is $10/ton more than last August’s price of $199/ton, and the all-hay price is $8/ton higher than last year’s price of $177/ton.

California had the biggest decline in alfalfa prices – by $30/ton from July to August, when it averaged $245/ton. That’s still $44/ton more than the $201/ton that the crop sold for in August 2013.

New York reported a $12/ton price drop for alfalfa from July to August – to $205/ton; that’s the same price reported for August 2013. Average all-hay prices showed a $27/ton decline, from $208/ton in July to $181/ton in August.

A few states reported price increases from July to August. Michigan experienced a $10/ton bump in alfalfa prices, to $160/ton; a $12/ton hike in all-hay prices, to $141/ton.

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.