An estimated 2.5 million acres of dry hay and haylage are harvested each year in Wisconsin with baled hay alone accounting for $80-$100 million in market sales. Unfortunately, there is not an established commodity market for hay like there is for corn or soybeans. Finding reliable hay market information can be a challenge, and trying to value standing hay while it’s still in the field can be even more difficult.
To help farmers and landowners identify the price of hay and/or negotiate the sale or purchase of standing hay, UW-Extension Waupaca County Agriculture Agent Greg Blonde has developed a Smartphone app that can quickly find hay price information. Users of the app can also enter projected hay yield, cutting schedule and harvest costs to calculate standing value per acre.
The app is free and available for Android smartphones and tablets on the Google Play store by searching “Hay Price” or by visiting https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartmappsconsulting.haypricing.
UW-Extension Team Forage also provides a Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest from data collected on the first and third week of the month and posted the following week. Please visit UW-Extension Team Forage’s Hay Market Report for updated information regarding hay prices.
Source:uwex.edu