Modest Rise in Alfalfa Crop

WASHINGTON - Oct 28/08 - SNS -- Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures output is forecast at 71.4 million tons, up 1% from the August forecast but down 2% from last year, according to the USDA's revised crop production and seeded area estimates.

Based on October 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 3.44 tons per acre, up 0.03 ton from August and up 0.09 ton from 2007. Harvested area is forecast at 20.8 million acres, unchanged from August but down 4% from the previous year's acreage.

Yields increased from the August forecast in Kansas, Oklahoma and the Dakotas due to late rains which helped the final cuttings in these areas. Yields were unchanged or lower in the Corn Belt States. Yield forecasts were also down in Washington and Oregon.

  Alfalfa and Alfalfa Mixtures for Hay:  Area Harvested, Yield, and Production
      by State and United States, 2006-2007 and Forecasted October 1, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :   Area Harvested    :       Yield       :         Production
  State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
        :   2007   :   2008   :  2007   :  2008   :  2006   :  2007   :  2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :  -- 1,000 Acres --     ---- Tons ----     ------- 1,000 Tons -------
        :
AZ      :     250        260     8.30      9.30      2,075     2,075     2,418
CA      :     990        950     7.20      7.10      7,480     7,128     6,745
CO      :     800        830     3.70      3.50      2,964     2,960     2,905
ID      :   1,200      1,130     4.00      4.40      5,074     4,800     4,972
IL      :     380        350     3.70      4.10      1,804     1,406     1,435
IN      :     320        320     2.70      4.00      1,476       864     1,280
IA      :   1,140      1,100     4.20      4.20      4,602     4,788     4,620
KS      :     800        780     3.50      3.90      3,610     2,800     3,042
KY      :     300        240     1.80      2.70      1,036       540       648
MI      :     800        750     2.90      3.20      2,988     2,320     2,400
MN      :   1,150      1,100     3.10      3.60      4,455     3,565     3,960
MO      :     400        400     2.85      3.00      1,131     1,140     1,200
MT      :   1,650      1,650     2.30      2.00      3,255     3,795     3,300
NE      :   1,150      1,050     3.65      3.60      4,125     4,198     3,780
NV      :     265        260     4.90      4.60      1,377     1,299     1,196
NM      :     260        250     5.20      5.30      1,122     1,352     1,325
NY      :     420        430     2.40      2.60        777     1,008     1,118
ND      :   1,650      1,550     2.05      1.65      1,740     3,383     2,558
OH      :     430        550     3.30      3.10      1,645     1,419     1,705
OK      :     380        300     3.80      4.00        798     1,444     1,200
OR      :     400        420     4.10      4.30      1,892     1,640     1,806
PA      :     600        520     3.00      2.90      1,500     1,800     1,508
SD      :   2,250      2,100     2.25      2.50      2,880     5,063     5,250
TX      :     140        150     5.50      4.60        675       770       690
UT      :     560        540     4.20      4.10      2,240     2,352     2,214
VA      :     110        100     2.50      3.30        396       275       330
WA      :     440        380     5.40      4.50      2,156     2,376     1,710
WI      :   1,650      1,500     2.40      2.60      4,620     3,960     3,900
WY      :     570        600     2.70      2.70      1,400     1,539     1,620
        :
Oth     :
 Sts 1/ :     215        218     2.40      2.70        713       516       589
        :
US      :  21,670     20,778     3.35      3.44     72,006    72,575    71,424
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Other States include AR, CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NC, RI, TN, VT, and
    WV.  Individual State level estimates will be published in the "Crop
    Production 2008 Summary."