U.S. hay prices nudged up a bit last month, according to USDA’s Agricultural Prices report released Feb. 28.
The average all-hay price of $194/ton for February was up $3/ton from the average price in January. Compared to last year’s February price, it was up by $17/ton.
Of the 27 reporting states, Colorado and Wisconsin had the highest all-hay prices at $244/ton and $243/ton, respectively. The next-highest prices, ranging from $226 to $229/ton, were reported in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington and New Mexico. Texas had the lowest price at $119/ton.
For alfalfa, the February average price of $218/ton was up $1 from the January price. The year-earlier average alfalfa price was $194/ton. Wisconsin saw the sharpest month-to-month increase in alfalfa prices – $20/ton to total $260/ton. Ohio’s average price was also reported at $260/ton, with a $5/ton increase from the January figure. In Minnesota, the average price climbed by $15/ton to $255/ton. In Texas, alfalfa prices dropped by $5/ton from January to February, totaling $242/ton. The largest month-to-month drop in reporting states was in California, from $215 in January to $209/ton.
Prices paid by farmers for fuel; nitrogen and mixed fertilizers; and herbicides, insecticides and fungicides were up in February.