Hay Supplies Rise, Wheat Seedings Fall

With excessive rains rather than exceptional drought this past summer, Missouri farmers were able to stock up on hay supplies for the winter. USDA reported Friday that Missouri farmers had six-point-nine million tons of hay on hand as of December first, a 64-percent jump from December 2018. Hay acreage harvested increased nine-point-four percent to three-point-three-six million acres, with yield nearing two-point-two tons per acre. That resulted in production surpassing seven-point-three million tons. About 702-thousand tons of that was alfalfa. Nationwide hay production was up four-point-three percent at 128-point-nine million tons.

Wheat acreage in Missouri dropped another 20 percent this year to 440-thousand acres. The late harvest and continued damp conditions resulted in a second straight year of significantly reduced acreage. Nationwide wheat acreage is down another one percent to 30-point-eight million.