Western hay stocks differ by state |
| By Seth Hoyt |
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USDA’s December 1, 2016, hay stocks report showed the amount of hay in California down 5 percent from December 1, 2015. Feedback from both growers and buyers in California in recent months indicated that hay supplies were down from 2015. Some hay barns in Central California that were full of alfalfa hay a year ago had no hay or less hay on December 1, 2016. Hay dealers said that supplies of alfalfa hay in areas where they traded in California were down from 2015. USDA reported hay stocks up 4 percent in Idaho and 7 percent higher in Washington; feedback from growers and buyers in those states indicated that hay stocks were up from 2015. Much of this had to do with dairies not purchasing alfalfa hay as they normally would through the 2016 season. Some of this was due to sufficient hay inventories on hand or more feeding of corn silage. Another issue in Washington was a slowdown of alfalfa hay purchases by export buyers later in the season. |
