Farmers struggle to find hay for animals as wet spring creates shortage

[TexasTowelie]

EVANSVILLE, Ind., July 30 (UPI) -- Historically heavy rains across the Midwest this year have hindered hay production, leading to a troublesome shortage in many farming communities.

Hay stocks across the Midwest this spring were down 24 percent from last year, said Lance Zimmerman, a research and data manager at Cattle Fax, which monitors and informs the cattle industry. And last year's stocks were below the norm, he said.

"It does put producers, especially dairy producers, in a tough spot," Zimmerman said. "They are the ones in most need of hay. Typically, beef cattle are put out to pasture this time of year. But dairy cows need to be fed."

As stocks dwindle, the price for hay is shooting up. The average price for alfalfa hay topped $200 per ton in July, the highest in five years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/07/30/Farmers-struggle-to-find-hay-for-animals-as-wet-spring-creates-shortage/5891564417562/

[True Blue American]

1. As I drive through rural areas here I see field after field lying fallow.

They were always full of Soy Beans. China is buying them from Brazil now.

With auto plants closing , the GDP dropping to 2.1, Farmers hurting, bankruptcy increasing we seem to be heading into a long, hard slide.

[3Hotdogs]

3. and the Gropenfuhrer may still be re-elected.

[lapfog_1]

2. from what I've read... only 1 or 2 cuttings so far this year

normally would on the 4th cutting in many areas that grow hay in the midwest.

[jcgoldie]

4. 4 cuttings is average for an entire year

5 is an exceptional year for alfalfa. With grass its 2 or 3. There was a lot of hay out there, just couldn't get it out of the field. When they did, there's a lot, but its stemmy of course because overgrown and not the leafy stuff the dairy and horse guys want. It varies obviously even a county over or 2 because hay has to be dry to cut then lay on the ground to dry a couple of days before you can roll it up so it takes 4 or 5 sunny days with no rain depending on what type of hay it is. Here in southwest Illinois, it took most people forever to get out the first cutting... it was ready to cut in late May but most couldn't cut for a month because there was no window in the forecast between storms. Once we got that out the rest has been normal... it might cost a cutting in September or something, but it will somewhat balance out because its still raining and growing fast into 3rd cutting... many years its started to dry out by now but we had 3" from the ghost of hurricane barry all the way up into the Midwest... that's very uncommon in late July here.

[rickford66]

5. Lots of new and larger machinery haying around me than in the past.

It used to be the local farmer with his older machinery and just a few guys. Now it's a dozen or more guys and two or three times the machinery. I'm in upstate NY. I'm surrounded by fields which aren't always left for hay, but they usually get two crops of hay a year.