– James Mitchell, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Arkansas
Last week, USDA-NASS published the 2024 Crop Production Summary, which includes information about U.S. hay production, acreage, and yield, as well as data for December 1 hay stocks. The report categorizes the data into two segments: alfalfa and other hay, with other hay being particularly relevant for producers in the Southeast.
The hay marketing year begins in May and concludes the following April. For instance, the 2024-2025 hay marketing year started in May 2024 and will end in April 2025. On May 1, hay stocks for the 2024-2025 marketing year were significantly higher compared to the previous year, totaling 21.01 million tons, which represents a 47% increase year over year. In the Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV), May 1 hay stocks reached 2.80 million tons, up 15% from the previous year. These stocks, combined with the increased hay production in 2024, have elevated hay supplies to their highest level since 2020. Total hay supplies for the 2024-2025 marketing year are 143.47 million tons. In the Southeast, the 2024-2025 hay supplies total 25.49 million tons, a 3% increase year over year, accounting for 18% of total U.S. hay supplies.
Other hay production totaled 72.62 million tons in 2024, up 6% from the previous year and marking the largest annual total since 2020. In Texas, the largest hay-producing state, production reached 11.52 million tons, more than double the total from two years prior, when it was just 5.70 million tons. Production increased by 17%, 25%, and 13% in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky, respectively. The USDA’s estimate for Arkansas surpassed what I would have predicted last summer. For several states included in the Southeast total, hay production was impacted by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. Specifically, production in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee was down by 24%, 9%, and 4%, respectively.
All hay acreage declined by 3.38 million acres in 2024 to 49.39 million acres. In the Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV), hay acreage decreased by 9.84 million acres, or 3%. Conversely, Texas saw a 5% increase in hay acreage. Despite the overall decline, improved hay yields offset these reductions.
