The average hay price for alfalfa fell $16 per ton to $263 during June, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Prices report. This followed an $8 drop the previous month. The price remained $18 higher than one year ago.
The average price for Supreme and Premium alfalfa hay during June was $7 per ton lower than May and settled at $310.
Grass hay was pegged at $172 per ton in June, which was $3 lower than the previous month.
No state posted double-digit gains in alfalfa price during June.
Double-digit declines in the June alfalfa hay price occurred in nine states. Arizona and Nevada were down by $30 per ton while Washington was down $20. Both New York and Pennsylvania posted prices that were $16 per ton lower, with Wisconsin down $15. California, Idaho, and Texas each had a reduction of $10 per ton.
The highest average June alfalfa hay price was reported in New Mexico and Oregon at $315 per ton. Arizona followed at $305 while Washington checked in at $300 per ton.
Midwest states continue to offer the lowest average hay prices. North Dakota was easily the lowest at $131 per ton. It was followed by Wisconsin at $155 per ton and Missouri at $170.
Keep in mind that USDA average prices account for all qualities and bale types of hay sold. Also, the final U.S. estimate is a volume-weighted average rather than a simple average of state values. Those states with the most volume sales will impact the final U.S. dollar value more than those states with fewer sales.
Supreme and Premium
The USDA also tracks the prices of Supreme and Premium quality alfalfa in the major dairy states and determines an average price from the five top milk-producing states (California, Idaho, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin). This data is used to determine feed prices in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.
For June, the average price of Supreme and Premium alfalfa hay dropped by $7 per ton to $310. One year ago, the average price of Supreme and Premium alfalfa hay was $277 per ton.
Other hay
The June average price of other hay (mostly grass) fell by $8 per ton to $172, which was $26 per ton higher than a year earlier.
The highest June price for hay other than alfalfa was reported in Washington at $280 per ton. Oregon followed at $265 per ton while Colorado checked in at $260.
North Dakota had the lowest reported other hay average price at $101 per ton. It was followed by Oklahoma at $118 and Wisconsin at $127.
