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Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
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Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay Weekly, at
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Opposition to genetically engineered crops like Roundup Ready (RR)
alfalfa and a lack of support for forage research, teaching and outreach
are among the major challenges facing hay and forage growers in the
U.S., according to Dennis Hancock, University of Georgia Extension
forage specialist.
“Should RR alfalfa not make it back to the market, trait development
and breeding work on our nation’s third most economically important
crop (alfalfa) will slow to a near stop,” said Hancock to the American
Farm Bureau Federation hay committee in San Antonio, TX, last week. “A
ripple effect will be felt throughout the entire forage breeding
community, and many innovations will be stifled.”
Biotechnology is being used to develop alfalfa varieties with reduced
lignin content, enhanced bypass protein fractions, better drought
tolerance, less leaf shatter, delayed flowering, improved disease
resistance, and increased tolerance to aluminum. In other forage crops,
it’s helping to enable broadleaf herbicide resistance within legumes,
increase digestibility in bermudagrass and improve drought tolerance and
summer productivity in tall fescue.
“Since traditional breeding methods for forage crops are extremely
slow and the profit margin in forage variety development is narrower
than in any of the other agronomic crops, genetic engineering is the
only realistic hope for major improvements in our forage crops.”
Forage research, teaching and outreach efforts are declining, said
Hancock. Since 1984, forage-based livestock system research in
land-grant universities has been reduced by more than 60%. During the
same time frame, the number of university faculty teaching forage
management decreased by nearly 40%. The number of Extension forage
specialists has declined by 30%. An additional 30% decline is expected
by 2018.
“Though it may seem self-serving to point out these trends, it is
nonetheless an issue that should be troubling to all who derive their
livelihood from hay and forage production enterprises,” said Hancock.
Along with the challenges, he sees numerous opportunities for hay and
forage growers to expand their enterprises over the long term. Examples
include:
- Increased interest in pasture-based beef and dairy enterprises,
particularly in the eastern U.S. “There are real market opportunities
for ‘grass-fed’ and ‘natural’ milk and meat,” said Hancock.
“Though the merits of these production systems relative to
conventional production systems remain highly debated, there is no doubt
that these products command a premium in the market.”
- Stabilizing hay export markets. “There may even be market
expansion for high-quality hay shipped to the Persian Gulf.”
- Growing interest in biofuels. Along with creating new markets, the
biomass-for-biofuels industry is also likely to have an indirect effect
on hay production, Hancock noted. “The industry effort now under way
to increase biomass bale density and baling efficiency will likely yield
transportation and efficiency gains for hay producers.”
To see a powerpoint of Hancock’s presentation, go to the University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension forage Web site.
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 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
Isn’t it obvious? Syngenta alfalfa varieties include a seed coating
to optimize germination, nodulation, and promote early season health and
root development allowing more seedlings to survive and achieve their
full genetic potential. To learn more, see your Garst seed advisor,
Golden Harvest dealer or NK retailer.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has
rescheduled the fourth and final public meeting for soliciting comments
on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for Roundup Ready
alfalfa. The meeting will now be held 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24, in
the APHIS Conference Center in Riverdale, MD.
As we reported last week, a major snowstorm forced the postponement of
the meeting, originally scheduled for Feb. 9, and led APHIS to extend
the public comment period on the draft EIS for 15 days. The comment
period will now end March 3.
Review
the draft EIS and/or submit
a comment.
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Look for alfalfa prices in California and the western U.S. to be
stronger in 2010, due mostly to a major shortfall in supply, said hay
marketing expert Seth Hoyt, author of The Hoyt Report, an email
market analysis newsletter.
“The supplies, especially in California, will be the lowest in some
time,” said Hoyt at a hay and forage seminar sponsored by Hay &
Forage Grower and Mycogen at the recent World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA.
“I’m predicting acres (in California) will be down at their lowest
levels since the early 1940s, maybe around 850,000 acres of alfalfa
hay.”
Volatility in the dairy industry in the last year or two has made it
increasingly difficult to predict the direction of hay and milk prices,
he added. “We need these dairies to be back in a profitable position,
because we saw what the lack of money (in dairy) did to the hay market
in 2009,” he said.
View a video
summary
of Hoyt’s presentation, as well as an in-depth story called New-Crop
Alfalfa Hay Prices Predicted.
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tractors are a natural choice for haying operations and heavy loader
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Greg Ibach, Nebraska’s ag director, is reminding livestock and
hay producers that the state’s Hay and Forage Hotline can help them
either find hay or post hay for sale.
“Because of the harsh winter, farmers in some areas of the state had
to begin feeding hay earlier than usual,” Ibach says. “We have
received calls from folks who are looking for hay, so we wanted to call
attention to our hotline and encourage its use.”
Most of the state had good conditions for hay production in 2009. “It
seems to be a matter of connecting those who have the supply with those
who need it in order to deal with the cold and snowy conditions this
winter has brought us,” Ibach says.
The free service is available to all buyers and sellers. The toll-free
hotline number is 800-422-6692; the local number is 402-471-4876.
Buyers can access the sellers’ list at the Nebraska Department
of Agriculture Web site.
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“This has always been a cyclical business. Our herds now are
at their lowest levels in 50 years. Ultimately, demand will come
back.” – Southeastern Iowa beef producer discussing price
prospects for the year ahead. Source: DesMoinesRegister.com.
“It’s better to pay a little bit more a bale than a vet bill if
my horse gets colic. And I have other folks’ horses here, so I have a
responsibility.” – East Texas stable owner, commenting on the
high price of hay in her area. Source: KTRE-TV, Lufkin, TX.
“We are delighted by the new rules. The organic community has been
calling for strong regulations and its enforcement for much of the past
decade.” – Mark Kastel, senior farm policy analyst at the
Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute (CI), commenting on USDA’s
announcement that it had completed work on new organic standards for
pasture and livestock. Source: CI
press release.
“It’s not my responsibility to feed them.” – An Alberta,
Canada, farmer who wants the provincial government to do more to
compensate landowners for damage to alfalfa and timothy fields caused by
wild elk. Source: betterfarming.com.
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 Hay & Forage Grower – Digital
Edition
Get all of the features of Hay & Forage Grower print editions
with all the interactive capabilities only available online.
Here's a sneak preview of this issue's highlights:
- 2010's Forage Equipment
- Debating the EIS
- Pinpoint Hay Moisture
- Handle Silage Safely
- Weather Outlook
Click here to view
the digital edition.
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Colorado
With dairies and feedlots buying mostly on an as-needed basis, the
supply of alfalfa hay remains on the long side in northeastern Colorado,
says hay grower-custom harvester Don Leonard of Don’s Hay Service near
Brush.
“We do have some inventory left, but we haven’t had to panic yet,”
says Leonard, who puts up medium and large square bales of alfalfa and
alfalfa-grass hay on 450 of acres of irrigated ground. Dairies, feedlots
and ranches are his major customers. “There’s still quite a bit of
the winter ahead of us.”
Leonard, who is also treasurer of the Colorado Hay and Forage
Association (CHFA), reports utility- to fair-quality grinder hay is
currently bringing $90-95/ton (delivered price) at beef feedlots.
That’s off roughly 30-40% from year-ago prices. “That market should
get a little stronger as the winter goes along,” he says. “Earlier
in the winter, they were feeding cornstalks and other alternatives as
fillers. Now we’re getting to that time of year when they’ll be
switching over to a little higher-quality hay.”
Dairy hay prices are also off by 30-40% from early 2009 highs.
Supreme-quality alfalfa is bringing $150-160/ton delivered, while
premium alfalfa is fetching $130-140/ton. Leonard says he’s less
optimistic that prices for dairy hay will rebound anytime soon. “I
don’t see it getting a whole lot stronger until the milk price comes
back,” he says. “For awhile it looked like things were improving a
bit, but now prices have slid back again. We need some positive things
to happen there.”
On another topic, Leonard notes that the 2009 Colorado Hay Directory, a
county-by-county listing of hay producers throughout the state, is
available on the CHFA Web
site. Listings on the site are valid through August 2010.
Leonard can be reached at 970-380-2044 or donshay@kci.net.
Wisconsin
The weekly hay sale at the Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction in
Lomira has been attracting good-sized crowds throughout the winter.
“We’ve been getting about 125-150 buyers per sale for the past
several months,” says market manager Kevin Johnson. “That’s
definitely up from a year ago.”
Johnson says there are typically 25-30 loads of hay at each sale. Most
of the hay is coming from within 100 miles of the auction site. “A lot
of it is local, but we’ve also seen a fair amount coming out of the
Wausau and Stevens Point area (in central Wisconsin). They seem to have
a pretty good supply.”
Prices have held steady throughout the winter, with average-quality hay
selling in the $75-125/ton range. The “real good” hay has been
selling at $150-200/ton. “Occasionally, it’s been even higher,”
says Johnson. “We had one load of good horse hay, packaged in medium
square bales, that went for $300/ton. It was just not real.”
The hay auction at Equity’s Lomira site is held each Friday starting
at noon. To contact Johnson, call 608-434-4023 or email kjohnson@equitycoop.com.
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University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension-San Joaquin
County will hold a field crops meeting this Thursday, Feb. 25, to
discuss results of research trials for treating common groundsel in
alfalfa. The meeting will be held at the UC research plots on South
Inland Drive in Stockton.
Common groundsel, a poisonous weed and a major pest of alfalfa, has
become a widespread problem in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys in
recent years. Deaths of horses and cattle have been attributed to hay
infested with groundsel. The meeting will offer a look at application
timing, short- and long-term herbicide effectiveness, tank mixes, new
herbicides and spray-nozzle comparisons.
For more information, call 209-953-6100.
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The Maryland Cattle Industry Convention and Hay and Pasture
Conference will take place at the Hagerstown Hotel and Convention Center
in Hagerstown on March 5-6. A full slate of educational sessions is
planned. Topics include grazing vs. feeding hay, supplementing cattle on
pasture, cutting hay production costs, keys to forage productivity and
profitability and more.
The event will also feature a trade show and a “livestock
skillathon” contest for youths who want to improve their knowledge of
the beef industry. Registration deadline is Feb. 26. Get more
details or contact Les Vough at vough@umd.edu or 301-405-1322.
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Feb. 25-28 -- 8th Annual Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg. Visit the Expo Web site.
March 2 -- Illinois Forage Institute, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Kankakee
Community College, Kankakee. Visit www.illinoisforage.org.
March 4-6 -- U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc. Annual Convention,
Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Wichita Falls, TX. Visit www.uschi.com.
March 9 -- University Of Minnesota Extension Dairy Meeting,
McLeod County Fairgrounds, Hutchinson. Call 800-587-0770 or
320-587-0770.
March 10-11 -- Wichita Falls Ranch & Farm Expo, JS Bridwell Ag
Center, Wichita Falls, TX. Visit www.wichitafallsranchandfarmexpo.net,
call 866-685-0989 or email dales@bwtelcom.net.
March 10-12 -- International Equine Well-Being Symposium, Kansas
State University Student Union, Manhattan, KS. See an
agenda/register.
March 16-17 -- Professional Dairy Producers Of Wisconsin Annual
Business Conference, Alliant Energy Center, Madison. Download
a brochure.
March 25 -- Georgia-South Carolina Piedmont Forage And Grassland
Council’s Annual Meeting, Just More Barbecue, Pendleton, SC. Get info.
March 26 -- 2010 Forage Production Seminar, Bremer Bank, Amery,
WI. Call 715-485-8600 or visit
polk.uwex.edu.
March 27 -- Texoma Pasture Conference, Ardmore Convention Center,
Ardmore, OK. Program will focus on brush and weed control in pastures.
Preregister at www.noble.org/agevents or
contact Tracy Cumbie at tlcumbie@noble.org or 580-224-6411.
March 27 -- Winter Regional Horse Owner Program, Cloquet Forestry
Center, Cloquet, MN. Registration deadline is March 24. Register online.
March 30-April 1 -- Pasture And Livestock Management Workshop,
Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton. Call
903-834-6191 or get
info.
April 8-9 -- Hay Production School, Spence Field, Moultrie, GA.
Details at www.georgiaforages.com.
April 14-15 -- Kentucky Grazing School, University of Kentucky
Research & Education Center, Princeton. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
May 13 -- Legume Management In The Southeast: Field Day And Pasture
Walk, Central Georgia Research & Education Center, Eatonton. Details
forthcoming at the University
of Georgia Forage Web site.
June 21-23 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Details at www.afgc.org.
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County Extension
Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Sept. 1-4 -- National Hay Association Annual Meeting, Griffin
Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, KY. Watch for details on the NHA Web site.
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