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Farmers and landowners can get help identifying the price of hay, and/or negotiate the sale or purchase of standing hay through a new smartphone app that can quickly find hay price information. Users of this app can also enter projected hay yield,cutting schedule and harvest costs to calculate a standing value per acre according to the app developer, Greg Blonde, University of Wisconsin-Extension Waupaca County agriculture agent.
The app is free and available for Android smart phones and tablets on theGoogle Play store by searching for “Hay Pricing” or go to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartmappsconsulting.haypricing
“It’s that time of the year when fresh mowed hay fills the air across Wisconsin, which also means many farmers and rural neighbors will be negotiating the sale of standing hay,” Blonde said. “An estimated 2.5 million acres of dry hay and haylage are harvested each year in this state with baled hay alone accounting for $80-$100 million in market sale.”
Currently, there is not an established commodity market for hay like there is for corn or soybeans. Finding reliable hay market information can be a challenge and trying to value standing hay whiles it’s still in the field can be even more difficult.
“This new mobile tool helps farmers and rural landowners access the latest hay market information on the go, plus gives them a simple tool to help estimate field value when considering buying or selling standing hay,” Blonde said.
He also said the app is a very useful tool for Extension educators, feed and crop consultants, as well as lenders, rural appraisers and real estate professionals.
This is the second mobile app developed by Blonde through Smart mAPPS Consulting. Last fall they published a free app for pricing wet corn to help buyers and sellers better manage the immature corn crop. That app features a link to current local elevator bid prices, a comparative value for wet corn vs.the current dry shell corn price, as well as an adjustment for drying cost.
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