INDUSTRY NEWS

Hay is the third largest U.S. crop in terms of harvest acres. It also provides environmental services, notably erosion control. Understanding the U.S. hay market is therefore important for both market and policy reasons. This article examines the U.S. hay market since 1919, or when the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistical Service began to report data separately for alfalfa hay.

A number of universities and other organizations compile yield data from annual crop variety field trials. Crops tested varies by state. This data may be useful for seed and crop selection for the coming year. Check these websites for results in your area.

Warrant herbicide, an encapsulated formulation of acetochlor often used for pre-emergent weed control in soybeans, has received registration for use in establishing and established alfalfa. This product will be an important part of a weed resistance management program in alfalfa. To view a copy of the supplemental label, click here.

If you purchased alfalfa seed this year, part of your purchase has now been dedicated to funding nine new research projects. The U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative (USAFRI), better known as the Alfalfa Checkoff, recently awarded the third round of funding to research projects submitted by researchers from a diverse collection of geographic areas of the country.

Driscoll | Top Hay is a joint venture between Driscoll Brothers, an Idaho family farm, and Top Hay Agri Industries, a British Columbia, Canada, hay marketing company. In 2017, they opened a hay press facility in Pocatello, Idaho, where Driscoll Brothers would acquire and compress alfalfa, and Top Hay (with on-site offices in China) would be the export marketing arm.

On Aug. 27, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced details of actions the USDA will take to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation by foreign nations.