News

Hay harvested area expected to decline

The USDA is projecting lower hay harvested area in 2024.

That’s due to a decline in planted area caused by the ongoing drier than normal conditions in several states.

The harvested area estimate for all types of hay is 51.562 million acres, 2% less than 2023, but still considerably more than 2022.

Hay supply and demand, and hay prices, are highly regional and can vary widely even within those regions.

Comparisons for Brownfield states:

Arkansas: Hay: 1.15 million acres, a decline of 1% from last year

Illinois: Hay: 470,000 acres, a rise of 15% from last year

Indiana: Hay: 550,000 acres, a rise of 4% from last year

Iowa: Hay: 1 million acres, a decline of 1% from last year

Kansas: Hay: 2.4 million acres, a decline of 14% from last year

Kentucky: Hay: 2 million acres, a decline of 3% from last year

Michigan: Hay: 780,000 acres, steady with last year

Minnesota: Hay: 1.17 million acres, a rise of 9% from last year

Missouri: Hay: 3.15 million acres, a decline of 18% from last year

Nebraska: Hay: 2.35 million acres, a rise of 3% from last year

Ohio: Hay: 815,000 acres, a rise of 1% from last year

South Dakota: Hay: 3 million acres, a rise of 3% from last year

Tennessee: Hay: 1.72 million acres, steady with last year

Wisconsin: Hay: 1.08 million acres, a rise of 5% from last year