Larger U.S. Hay Crop

WASHINGTON - Oct 10/08 - SNS -- Production hay other than alfalfa is forecast at 79.1 million tons, up 3% from the August forecast and up 2% from 2007, according to the USDA's latest crop production estimates.

Based on October 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 1.99 tons per acre, up 0.05 ton from the August forecast and up 0.04 ton from last year. Harvested area, at 39.7 million acres, is unchanged from August but down 1% from the previous year.

Compared with the previous forecast, growers in the southern Great Plains, Gulf Coast, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, North Carolina, New York, and Washington are expecting higher yields. Yields are forecast to remain unchanged or decline from August in most of the Corn Belt, the Ohio Valley, and Tennessee Valley. Kentucky and Michigan showed the largest decrease in yield from the previous forecast, down 0.3 tons.

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