Hay: What a Difference a Year Makes
Question for you: In your area, how do this year's hay prices compare to last year's?In mine (north-central Idaho), the grass-hay market has taken an abrupt nosedive--from $200/ton last year, to $80-$100/ton as of this writing.
Good news for horse folks who have to buy their supply (we rushed out to get another 5-ton flatbed load over the weekend, while the gettin' was good), not such good news for the growers who are suddenly having to slash prices to get their product sold.
The grower we buy from tells a classic boom/bust story: Last year's high prices prompted many growers to buy, lease, and/or plant more hay ground for 2009. But at the same time, the historically high hay prices seen in '08 also forced many people to cut their horse numbers or to get out of horses entirely: More hay, for fewer horses.
These two factors, complicated by a rain that fell when much of the current-year crop was still in the field, led to what he calls "a market collapse."
Makes you wonder what will happen NEXT year. Will some of those fields sit idle, or go back to producing some other kind of crop? Will that send prices back up again?
I sure don't know. But I do know that we now have hay stashed into every nook and cranny we can find, and that I'm not going to be worrying this winter about what our horses are going to eat.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 9:38 AM
14 comments
14 Comments:
Not here in the New England. It has rained for 32 days straight in some areas. We have been lucky and have 2 cuttings in the barn, and expect at least one more (hopefully 2 more). Others have not been so lucky. It has rained all day today, to top it off.
You folks are having the summer that isn't, aren't you?
My sympathies; and I hope your climate gets its "normal" back on soon.
I'm in central IN and hay prices are a little lower this year but I didn't get gouged last year. My grower didn't want to price himself out of the market so sold nice mixed hay for $4/bale (aprx 45 lbs.) last year. I just bought some decent 1st cutting for $3.50 but expect to pay a little more for later cuttings. We've had a lot of rain this spring, much of it not forecast, and I know quite a bit of hay around here got wet after being cut. Speaking of forecasts, two days ago the forecast for the whole week was sunshine, temps in the 70's and 0% chance of rain. Forecast now for tonight is 80% chance of thunderstorms ...
We get our hay from a local dairy who wholesales for the area. They told us this spring that Eastern WA haygrowers had lost their contract with Japan and there was excess hay in storage but prices weren't dropping. Said they expected them to drop this summer when the new cuttings come in so this makes sense. We only buy 1/2 ton at a time cuz we're only minutes away and only have 2 horses @ home. With the warm weather we've had here on the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains, our horses have been out to pasture and although we offer Eastern WA orchard grass, they've had no interest so we haven't bought any in months. Gonna stop by this weekend and see if the prices have dropped and bring some home compliments of your picture of putting the hay up. Ahhh, there's nothing like that feeling one gets when the hay is up. I've missed it! :)
Up here in Saskatchewan our prices look well on their way to being double, or even triple, last year's prices. I paid $60/ton in the dead of winter for 10 big rounds when prices are always at their highest. Now, prices are running $100 to 140/ton depending how close you are to the city. And that will continue to increase. I should have been able to cut about 15 ton off my grass hay field. We've just accepted the fact that it's not even worth cutting. The fuel will cost more than the hay is worth.
SK and Alberta have been hit so hard by the drought, it's going to be the worst year we've seen in decades.
I hadn't heard about the drought conditions in the prairie provinces. Thanks for filling us in, and hope you get rain sooner rather than later.
I envy those of you who live in other parts of the country. Here in California, hay is always high. For grass/alfalfa mix, the price has dropped from $315/ton last year to about $250/ton this year. Luckily, I'm down to only w horses to feed!
I feel lucky to get my hay this year for $2.75/bale for grass and 3.00/bale for alphalfa mix (60lbs each). I live in central Michigan. I raise miniature horses and go through about 6,000 lbs a year.
In my part of Western Montana prices haven't changed much from the high prices of last year. Cold spring, no rain = not enough growth. Add in a grasshopper infestation beyond comprehension is making prices already start back up.
We made lots of hay last fall. We will need it. The grass grew all winter, so didn't have to feed much, but early hot spring weather dried out the ground, and now the fields are not growing. I may have a tough time making enough to fill all of my customers needs this time around, however, I won't be raising prices because of that. I try to take care of my regulars
Gerry in Oklahoma
We are in NW Arkansas and buy hay produced in NE Oklahoma. This year we are paying 3.50 a square bale for fertilized, well dried Bermuda grass hay. The farmer we buy from is keeping this price for us (same as last year) because we are regulars. He stores the hay, we do not pre-pay. The hay is very good quality and the horses don't waste any of it. I would really like to be in a position to put up hay for the winter, just can't convince my husband to prioritize the funds that way.
We are paying $3.00 a bale for a good grass mix hay.We take on 100 bales at a time (all we can hold), four times a year. We have feed hay year round so we need at least a bale a day. More in colder weather.
Here in this western suburb of St. Louis, Missouri we are having the mildest summer that I can remember. Our prayers go out to Texas and anyone in drought.
Jane&Jabber
Juli- here in the coastal SE, hay prices have returned back to "normal". However, the SALES have slowed in some areas significantly. We are seeing a problem here with stock being left in fields with minimal grass (coupled with poor quality from lack of pasture management,) resulting in some mighty skinny horses/ cows. Hay is all over- but owners are hanging onto every dollar apparently, and letting the stock fend for themselves.
Come winter it is liable to be a different story though. Does not make it any easier to make deliveries and see skinny horses along the way...
Our hay grower says his sales are way down this year, too, whereas last year he couldn't fill all the orders.
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