Seth Hoyt
Author of The Hoyt Report, providing hay market analysis and insight.

The first sale reported on new crop alfalfa hay in southwest Idaho last week was a 400-ton lot of Supreme alfalfa hay big bales at $165 FOB stack. This same farmer sold similar quality first-cutting alfalfa hay a year ago for $140 per ton. This trend follows the same pattern we have seen in the central and northern valley of California where new crop alfalfa hay prices have been $20 to $40 per ton higher than a year ago. There have not been any new crop alfalfa hay prices reported yet in Washington. Some people thought new crop alfalfa hay prices in the West might hold unchanged from a year ago when predictions of stronger milk prices did not materialize the past few months. However, it appears that lower hay supplies, including less old crop hay carried into 2017, is pushing new crop alfalfa hay prices higher than last year.