U.S. all-hay and alfalfa hay prices continued to slip downward in January, according to USDA’s Agricultural Prices report released last Friday.
At an average of $165/ton, the national all-hay price was down by $3/ton from the previous month and $23/ton lower than in January 2013. Among the 27 reporting states, the average all-hay price was highest in New Mexico at $237/ton and Colorado at $225/ton and lowest in Missouri at $98/ton and Texas at $100/ton.
Alfalfa prices last month averaged $185/ton, down $2/ton from December’s total and quite lower from the January 2013 average of $217.
Compared to the previous month’s report, alfalfa prices were up in several Western states. Idaho saw the sharpest increase – $20/ton for an average $190/ton price. Alfalfa prices were also up in Arizona by $10/ton to $200/ton, California by $9/ton to average $207/ton and Nevada by $8/ton, averaging $204/ton.