Hay markets
Hay prices are dollars per ton or dollars per bale when sold to retail outlets. Basis is current delivery FOB barn or stack, or delivered customer as indicated.
Grade guidelines used in this report have the following relationship to Relative Feed Value (RFV), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients), or Crude Protein (CP) test numbers:
Grade RFV ADF TDN CP
Supreme 185+ <27 55.9+ 22+
Premium 170-185 27-29 54.5-55.9 20-22
Good 150-170 29-32 52.5-54.5 18-20
Fair 130-150 32-35 50.5-52.5 16-18
Utility <130 36+ <50.5 <16
WASHINGTON-OREGON HAY
(Columbia Basin)
(USDA Market News)
Moses Lake, Wash.
Jan. 30
This week FOB Last week Last year
11,180 1,530 850
Compared to Jan. 24: Supreme Alfalfa steady to firm in a light test. Fair/Good Alfalfa $5 lower. Demand is light to moderate. Trade moderate this week mainly from the local dairies and Holstein heifer growing yards. Buyers are only interested in buying a little to add to their already heavy supplies. Feedlots remain full. Exporters remain quiet, processing previously bought inventory. Retail/Feedstore Alfalfa and Orchard grass steady. Buyer demand good with light to moderate supplies.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Large Square Supreme 1500 $180-190
Fair/Good 3900 $150-155
Fair 4700 $145-155
Alfalfa Small Square Premium 70 $250
Good 125 $220-250
Alfalfa/Timothy Mix Small Square Good 35 $250
Orchard Grass Small Square Premium 145 $250-275
Timothy Grass Large Square Good 30 $210
Fair 150 $110
Utility 525 $100
OREGON AREA HAY
(USDA Market News)
Portland, Ore.
Jan. 30
This week FOB Last week Last year
6,432 4,679 1,249
Compared to Jan. 24: Prices generally steady with week ago offerings. Trading was light during the week in some areas. Many producers have sold all that they plan to sell for this season.
Tons Price
CROOK, DESCHUTES, JEFFERSON, WASCO COUNTIES
Alfalfa Large Square Fair/Good 40 $190
Grass Mix-Five Way Small Square Supreme 10 $275
EASTERN OREGON
Orchard Grass Large Square Good/Prem. 100 $180
HARNEY COUNTY
Alfalfa Large Square Good 502 $185-190
KLAMATH BASIN
Alfalfa/Orchard Mix Small Square Premium 60 $230
Retail/Stable Good 25 $190
Fescue Grass Small Square Premium 21 $220
LAKE COUNTY
Alfalfa Large Square Supreme 190 $240-250
1400 $250-280
Good/Prem. 815 $200-210
Good 600 $200
350 $195
Fair 129 $165-170
400 $165
Utility 35 $140
Small Square Fair 25 $175
Compressed Bales Supreme 8 $325
Alfalfa/Grass Mix Large Square Premium 32 $180
Alfalfa/Oat Mix Large Square Fair 1500 $165
Oat Large Square Premium 60 $150
Alfalfa/Triticale Mix Large Square Fair 130 $175
IDAHO HAY
(USDA Market News)
Moses Lake, Wash.
Jan. 30
This week FOB Last week Last year
39,450 9,710 3,700
Compared to Jan. 24: Premium and Supreme Alfalfa steady. Utility and Fair Alfalfa $10 higher. Trade active this week as buyers and sellers decided to come together. Some areas of the trade area received limited moisture this week. Retail/feed store/horse not tested this week. Buyer demand good with light to moderate supplies.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Large Square Supreme 1200 $210-220
Prem./Sup. 20,000 $220
Premium 600 $180
Good 11,000 $180-200
Fair/Good 600 $160
Fair 5650 $165-180
Utility 400 $140
CALIFORNIA HAY
(USDA Market News)
Moses Lake, Wash.
Jan. 30
This week FOB Last week Last year
5,975 7,006 4,290
Compared to Jan. 24: Prices remained firm in most areas, with advancements by as much as $5 higher in the Imperial Valley. Some rainfall was reported in the Northern and Central Regions of the state, with some much needed snow falling in the Sierra Nevadas. The hay market continues to march higher, as this is the driest January on record in the state of California. There has been a high pressure ridge lurking off the coast for the last 13 months that is responsible for blocking winter storms and precipitation from reaching California, according to the Daily Mail. Producers are already concerned about the water situation next year. According to the Wall Street Journal, most farmers haven’t received water they’re due since 2008 when federal regulators began restricting water exports from the Delta to residents in the south to protect “threatened” fish such as the smelt and the salmon. The federal regulations have caused millions of acre-feet of water to be flushed into the Bay instead of being sent down the line to irrigate crop lands in the Central and Southern regions of the state. Livestock producers are beginning to search for hay outside their normal marketing areas, with reports of hay moving out of Oregon, Nevada and the Imperial Valley to try to meet demand while supplies last. Trade activity was active on very good buyer demand.
REGION 1
Includes the counties of Siskiyou, Modoc, Shasta, Lassen and Plumas.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Supreme 100 $300
Premium 50 $225
Wheat Premium 100 $200
REGION 2
Includes the counties of Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, Solano, Sacramento, Amador and Alpine.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Premium 750 $240
REGION 3
Includes the counties of San Joaquin, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mono, Merced and Mariposa.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Prem./Sup. 500 $300
Premium 50 $275
Oat Good/Prem. 75 $185
Good 500 $170
REGION 4
Includes the counties of Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Inyo.
Alfalfa Premium 150 $295
REGION 5
Includes the counties of Kern, Northeast Los Angeles, and Western San Bernardino.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Premium 425 $250-255
Good 200 $219-228
Forage Mix-Three Way Premium 125 $240-255
REGION 6
Includes the counties of Eastern San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial.
Tons Price
Alfalfa Premium 550 $215-225
50 $210
100 $240
Good/Prem. 100 205
Good 400 $180
Bermuda Grass Premium 500 $200
Klein Grass Good 500 $100
Bermuda Straw Good 750 $80-100