Texas direct hay report for Feb. 24

Compared to the last report: Hay prices remain steady to firm in all regions. Hay demand is very good across the state. Cooler temperatures accompanied by moisture moved across the state over the last few weeks. Hay movement remains steady in all regions as supplemental livestock feeding continues throughout the winter months. According to David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, Bryan-College Station Texas pastures produced the lowest amount of hay since 2011. Anderson also stated, U.S. hay production followed the Texas trend. According to the December 2022 hay stock reports, the 71.9 million tons of hay on hand was the smallest amount since the USDA began tracking forage supplies in 1973. Texas hay supplies were 37% below the December 2021 report and other Plains states like Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska were all at least 30% below their stocks last year. As a result, livestock producers are continuing to cull deeper into their herds to avoid feeding excess amounts of hard to come by, high priced forages.