Higher quality alfalfa sees price increase

Hay market prices bumped up a bit for dairy alfalfa, mostly steady for grinding alfalfa and grass hay, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture-USDA Market News Service, June 15.

Demand remains good for alfalfa, still in limited supply. Although folks are making bales as swift as they can, it is being bought up faster than they can bale it, all the while fighting high humidity and plagued by all those other problems that generally come this time of year. Most report high yields but lower quality, with only a few folks able to put up dairy quality hay. The rain and cool weather of spring has put all behind and so everything is coming to head at this same time, running farmers ragged.

Prices are averages and are given on a per-ton basis, unless otherwise noted.

Southwest:

Dairy alfalfa .05/pt higher, ground and delivered steady to $5 higher, grinding alfalfa steady; movement moderate. Premium horse alfalfa, small squares, $260-$280. Dairy 1.05-1.10/point RFV, supreme, $195-$250, premium, $180-$205, good, $155-$185. Stock or dry cow, $175-$185. Grinding alfalfa, $180-$190. New crop grinding alfalfa, $180-$190 with instances at $200. Ground and delivered locally to feed lots and dairies, $200-$210. New crop ground and delivered, $205-$215 with an instance at $230-$240. Grass hay, large 4×4 squares, $95-$105. Sudan, large rounds, $75-$85. Wheat straw, none reported. For the week ending June 12, 17,189 tons of grinding alfalfa and 825 tons of dairy alfalfa was reported bought/sold. The average paid by feedlots on June 1 for alfalfa ground and delivered was $186.50, up $6.58 from the previous month, usage was 547 tons/day, down 3% and total usage was 16,946 tons.

South central:

Dairy alfalfa .05/pt higher, alfalfa pellets, grinding alfalfa, ground/delivered steady; movement slow. Horse alfalfa, small squares, $255-$275. Dairy 1.05-1.10/point RFV, supreme, $195-$250, premium, $180-$205, good, $155-$185. Good stock cow, $185-$195. Current fair/good grinding alfalfa, $160-$175 delivered. New crop, $160-$175 at the edge. Ground and delivered, $180-$190 with an instance at $200-$210. Sun-cured alfalfa pellets, 15% protein, $215-$225, 17% protein, $220-$230, Dehydrated 17% protein, $305-$315. Bluestem grass hay, 3×3 square, $100-$110, 3×4 and 4×4 squares, none reported, large rounds, $70-$75. Brome, large 3×4 squares, $85-$95, large rounds, $80-$90. Sudan, large rounds, $80-$90 delivered. For the week ending June 12, 8,062 tons of grinding alfalfa and 250 tons of dairy alfalfa was reported bought/sold. The average paid by feedlots on June 1 for alfalfa ground and delivered was $167.91, up $2.50 from the previous month, usage was 316 tons/day, up 11% and total usage was 9,800 tons.

Southeast:

Dairy alfalfa steady, grinding alfalfa, grass hay steady, movement slow. Horse or goat alfalfa, $230-$240. Dairy 1-1.05/point RFV. Stock cow, $155-$165. Fair/good grinding alfalfa, large rounds, $140-$160. Ground and delivered, none reported. Bluestem grass hay, small squares, $115-$125, good 3×3 squares, $100-$120, good 3×4 and 4×4 squares, $90-$115, large rounds, $60-$70. Good brome, small squares, none reported, 3×4 to 4×4 squares, $90-$115, large rounds none reported. Wheat straw, 3×4 and 4×4 squares, $60-$80. For the week ending June 12, 1,130 tons of grass hay was reported bought/sold.

Northwest:

Dairy alfalfa, ground/delivered steady, grinding alfalfa steady, movement slow. Horse or goat alfalfa, $220-$230. Premium/supreme dairy, 1/point RFV. Stock cow, fair/good, $165-$175. Fair/good grinding alfalfa, $135-$145 with an instance at $150. Ground and delivered, not a large enough sample to report. Sudan, large rounds, $60-$70. Wheat straw, large squares, none reported.

North central/northeast:

Dairy alfalfa steady to .05/pt higher, grinding alfalfa, ground/delivered steady, grass hay steady to $5 lower; movement slow to moderate. Premium horse alfalfa, small squares, $9-$10/bale. Dairy 1.05-1.10/point RFV, supreme, $195-$250, premium, $180-$205, good, $155-$185. Stock cow, $160-$170. Fair/good, grinding alfalfa, large rounds, $100-$120, 3×4 squares, $120-$145, Ground and delivered, $160-$170. Bluestem grass hay, small squares, $6-$7/bale, 3×4 to 4×4 squares, $90-$100, large rounds, $60-$70. Brome, small squares, $6.50-$7.50/bale, 3×4 to 4×4 squares, $105-$115, large rounds, $60-$70. Sudan, large rounds, none reported. Wheat straw, none reported. For the week ending June 12, 1,238 tons of grinding alfalfa and 1,213 tons of dairy alfalfa was reported bought/sold.

Source: Kansas Department of Agriculture-USDA Market News Service, Manhattan, Kansas.