Hay Market Data, Quality and Trade

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-09Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Market value

$84B

Producing countries tracked

11

Grading systems

1

Active supply risks

5

Trade corridors

5

Latest reviewed evidence

The figures below are USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates for the 2025 United States dry-hay crop, published in January 2026. All hay combines alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures with other hay; haylage and greenchop are reported separately on a moisture-adjusted basis. These are dated U.S. crop measures—not global production, a current physical offer or a live delivered price.

United States all dry-hay harvested area

49.6

million acres · crop year 2025

United States all dry-hay average yield

2.48

tons per acre · crop year 2025

United States all dry-hay production

123.031

million tons · crop year 2025

United States dry-hay production excluding alfalfa

72.818

million tons · crop year 2025

Forage type, product form and moisture basis come before comparison

Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, grass hay, mixed hay, cereal hay and native or prairie hay differ in composition and intended use. Dry baled or loose hay is not interchangeable with haylage or greenchop, whose higher moisture changes storage, handling and measurement. Cubes and pellets add processing, particle-size, density and composition requirements. Atlas keeps forage type, product form, intended use, moisture basis and package or bulk format attached before comparing production, quality evidence, prices or trade flows.

Quality designations require both test context and visual condition

USDA Hay Quality Designation Guidelines maintain separate approaches for alfalfa and grass hay. Alfalfa designations use approximate ADF, NDF, RFV, TDN and crude-protein ranges for domestic livestock use with not more than 10 percent grass; grass-hay guidance uses crude-protein ranges. USDA states that quantitative factors should be used with visual appearance and intended use. Maturity, leafiness, stem character, color, weeds, mold and damage therefore remain material alongside the laboratory result and sampling basis.

National dry-hay totals do not determine a delivered hay price

USDA NASS estimated 123.031 million tons of United States dry-hay production from 49.6 million harvested acres in 2025, averaging 2.48 tons per acre. Of that total, 72.818 million tons were hay other than alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures. Those dated aggregates combine many forage types, qualities, bale formats, regions and end uses and exclude separately measured haylage and greenchop. A physical price therefore requires a defined lot, exact sale basis and current permitted evidence.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are dry hay and haylage interchangeable?

No. Haylage has a higher moisture content and different storage, handling and measurement conventions. The product form and moisture basis must remain attached to tonnage, quality and price evidence.

Can all hay use one quality designation table?

No. USDA guidance distinguishes alfalfa from grass hay and requires quantitative factors to be considered with visual condition and intended use. Forage type and the applicable method must be identified.

What does the 123.031 million ton figure represent?

It is USDA NASS's estimate of total United States dry-hay production for 2025, combining alfalfa and other hay. It excludes the separately reported haylage and greenchop series and is not a current physical price.

Which fields make physical hay offers comparable?

Forage type and composition, product form, intended use, cutting and maturity, moisture or dry-matter basis, sample and laboratory method, quality designation and feed-value measures, visual condition, leafiness, stems, weeds, mold and damage, bale type and dimensions or bulk format, crop year, origin, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.