Saudi Arabia keeps buying alfalfa hay

Alfalfa hay exports from the Port of Long Beach to Saudi Arabia in December 2016 totaled 41,871 metric tons (MT), up 45 percent from the 28,791 MT in November and compares to 9,547 MT in December 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is expected that alfalfa hay exports to Saudi Arabia from the U.S. will continue to expand as the Saudi Arabian government restricts the use of water for crops, including alfalfa hay. Due to declining water supplies needed for human consumption, dairies and other users must import more alfalfa hay. Even though there are alfalfa farms in Arizona and the southern desert of California owned by a Saudi Arabian dairy, it appears that there will need to be much more alfalfa hay purchased in the future from alfalfa hay growers in the western U.S. to feed the dairy cows in Saudi Arabia. Most of the hay will be pressed in the Imperial Valley and Arizona.