Hay Market Reports

Editor's note: This article has been updated with the latest 2021 hay production estimates.

Multiple factors are coming into play as the 2021 hay harvest season winds down and new-crop marketing picks up.

For those framing their hay feeding and marketing plans, the 2021 U.S. hay harvest picture is becoming clearer.

Drought is affecting hay supplies and prices in much of the western U.S., while the impact on hay quality from wildfire smoke is still unknown. Transportation availability and cost are concerns both home and abroad. Here’s a snapshot of factors affecting hay markets as we move into the second week of August.

I bring up this illustration every year, but your perception of forage conditions and markets is probably a lot like the parable of the blind men and the elephant: it depends on where you are standing. Here’s a description of factors affecting hay markets as we approach the middle of July.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include updated U.S. hay export data.

The transition to summer generally sets the stage for what’s to come in the year ahead regarding hay markets, and 2021 is no different.

Spring is off to a fast start, with the planting pace of most crops well ahead of the five-year average in many parts of the country. Climbing corn and soybean futures prices are still impacting final planting decisions. Perhaps the brightest news concerned exports.