Modest July hay price dip

Both the all-hay and alfalfa hay price declined by $2 per ton during July while hay other than alfalfa moved from $125 to $126 per ton, according to USDA’s most recent Agricultural Prices report released last week. The June prices for both all hay and alfalfa were adjusted upward by $2 per ton since last month’s report.

The all-hay price for July was pegged at $143 per ton, which was $15 higher than July 2016.

The July alfalfa hay price was $152 per ton, $14 per ton over the 2016 level. The alfalfa price remains $24 above the low of $128 per ton set in January.

The USDA price averages account for all qualities of hay sold, and 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.

The leading alfalfa price gainers in July were Pennsylvania (plus $33 per ton), Oregon (plus $25), and Idaho (plus $10). Ohio saw a price drop of minus $20, followed by North Dakota (minus $18), New York (minus $16), and Michigan (minus $15).

The highest alfalfa hay prices are being reported from New York ($206 per ton), Kentucky ($200 per ton), Texas ($194 per ton), and Pennsylvania ($190 per ton).

The lowest prices can be found in Minnesota ($86 per ton), Nebraska ($90 per ton), and Wisconsin ($103 per ton).