NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Growers of hay in Tennessee have a new tool for receiving updates on market prices and other critical decision-making information.

The Direct Hay Report was created from a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

The first of the online monthly reports was published on Aug. 29.

“For farmers, the Direct Hay Report helps answer critical questions about commodity valuation,” said Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher.

The reports contain updated market prices from all three regions of the state along with prices based on class, grade and type. Among the other things displayed are high and low prices over the previous month, and a monthly average price for each category of hay.

Insights are also provided on current trends in the market across the state.

Hatcher said another reason for creating the report was to meet the needs of other producers in the farm industry with what he believes is the first ever publication on current hay market pricing in the state.

Currently, there is a hay directory with listings of prices but it’s not a market report, TDA said.  

TDA already offers a breakdown on current market conditions on farm animals while USDA provides daily price report updates on corn, soybeans and wheat, TDA officials said.

“By launching this hay report, TDA aims to extend its market presence beyond livestock auction barns,” Hatcher said.

The new report should help not just hay producers but also livestock owners at large operations, especially those who are looking for the lowest price on hay used to feed and provide bedding for their animals.

TDA reporters work with participating hay producers on phones and e-mails to obtain current price information, including price per bale, during a period ending two weeks prior to publication.

Currently, TDA is reaching out to hay producers in hopes of adding more volunteer sources of information.

“The more producers and cooperators who can contribute price information, the more reflective of current local market conditions the report will be,” TDA said.

The report is available at no charge to hay producers and can be accessed through the TDA Market News app and website or on the USDA AMS website, according to TDA.

According to TDA, there is a subscription fee for private party websites and resources redistributing the report.

According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, Tennessee ranked 12th with 3.8 million tons of hay produced last year. Kentucky was 9th at 4.4 million tons.

Texas was the top hay producer in the nation at 8.7 million tons followed by 7.3 million tons in Oklahoma.

Iowa led the way in the Midwest in hay tonnage at 2.9 million followed by Ohio with 2.4 million; Wisconsin, 2.2 million; Michigan, 1.8 million; Indiana, 1.3 million; and Illinois, 1.2 million.

USDA is predicting over 74 million tons of hay will be produced nationwide this year, which is 8 percent more than 2023.

Better weather conditions are cited for increasing the average yield to 2.07 tons per acre. The USDA forecast also calls for production of alfalfa and alfalfa dry hay to be over 52 million tons in 2024 or 5 percent above last year’s total.