Alfalfa Hay Harvest Drops 6%

WASHINGTON - Aug 11/06 - SNS -- Production of alfalfa and alfalfa hay mixtures is forecast at 71.2 million tons, down 6% from last year, according to the USDA's latest crop production estimates.

Yields are expected to average 3.18 tons per acre, down 0.20 ton from 2005. Harvested area is forecast at 22.4 million acres, unchanged from June but up fractionally from last year.

Yields are forecast to be down across the Great Plains States, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington. Extremely hot and dry weather has persisted this year throughout the Great Plains, severely hurting yield expectations for alfalfa hay.

Compared with 2005, the largest declines are expected in Oklahoma and Kansas, down 1.10 tons and 1.00 ton from last year, respectively. Meanwhile, yields are forecast higher across the northern and eastern Corn Belt, Arizona, Idaho, New York, and Pennsylvania. The largest increases in yields are expected in Illinois and Pennsylvania, up 0.9 ton and 0.6 ton from 2005, respectively.

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