Hay Output on Rise in U.S.

WASHINGTON - Oct 28/08 - SNS -- Production of 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 revised crop production and seeded area 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.

         All Other 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 -------
        :
AL      :     800        850     1.70      2.60      1,440     1,360     2,210
AR      :   1,560      1,390     1.90      2.00      2,465     2,964     2,780
CA      :     620        590     3.70      3.80      2,160     2,294     2,242
CO      :     750        750     1.90      1.50      1,425     1,425     1,125
GA      :     670        700     1.80      2.00      1,170     1,206     1,400
ID      :     300        330     2.10      2.30        646       630       759
IL      :     300        270     1.70      2.20        704       510       594
IN      :     340        320     2.00      2.60        725       680       832
IA      :     340        350     2.30      2.50        704       782       875
KS      :   2,100      2,000     1.70      1.90      2,940     3,570     3,800
KY      :   2,400      2,300     1.50      2.00      5,280     3,600     4,600
LA      :     400        440     3.00      3.20        975     1,200     1,408
MI      :     280        280     2.00      1.80        682       560       504
MN      :     730        600     1.50      1.90      1,224     1,095     1,140
MS      :     850        750     2.20      2.40      1,560     1,870     1,800
MO      :   3,650      3,750     1.75      2.10      5,813     6,388     7,875
MT      :     900      1,000     1.50      1.30      1,065     1,350     1,300
NE      :   1,500      1,450     1.40      1.40      1,628     2,100     2,030
NY      :     940      1,000     1.80      2.00      2,013     1,692     2,000
NC      :     690        790     1.50      2.30      1,632     1,035     1,817
ND      :   1,130      1,300     1.60      1.25      1,397     1,808     1,625
OH      :     720        710     2.10      2.70      1,776     1,512     1,917
OK      :   2,800      2,800     2.00      2.00      2,800     5,600     5,600
OR      :     600        590     2.20      2.40      1,364     1,320     1,416
PA      :   1,200      1,230     2.00      2.20      3,625     2,400     2,706
SD      :   1,550      1,600     1.60      1.60      1,300     2,480     2,560
TN      :   1,700      1,800     1.40      2.00      4,140     2,380     3,600
TX      :   5,200      4,600     2.80      1.80      8,000    14,560     8,280
VA      :   1,230      1,350     1.80      2.20      2,486     2,214     2,970
WA      :     350        330     3.10      2.80        957     1,085       924
WV      :     575        580     1.50      2.10        944       863     1,218
WI      :     370        450     1.50      1.60        784       555       720
WY      :     530        600     1.60      1.30        715       848       780
        :
Oth     :
 Sts 1/ :   1,880      1,811     2.02      2.03      3,791     3,793     3,669
        :
US      :  39,955     39,661     1.95      1.99     70,330    77,729    79,076
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Other States include AZ, CT, DE, FL, ME, MD, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NM, RI, SC, UT,
    and VT.  Individual State level estimates will be published in the "Crop
    Production 2008 Summary."