How much does it cost to produce hay?
When full cost of production is accounted for, hay generally costs between $70 and $140/ton to produce. On smaller operations that own a full line of equipment, the cost can easily exceed $200/ton.
How much does it cost to plant 1 acre of alfalfa?
Alfalfa has to be planted at around 25 pounds per acre if I remember correctly. A 50 pound bag of seed is around $200 last I heard a few years back, so $100 an acre just for seed. Probably $120-150 per acre including tillage costs.
Is alfalfa hay profitable?
Alfalfa farmers are on their second hay cutting in California’s Central Valley. Alfalfa hay fields are cut from four to ten times a season, averaging about seven tons per acre per year. It’s a profitable crop these days, with prices for high quality hay frequently reaching $250/ton.
How much does it cost to farm alfalfa?
Land. Cropland with district water suitable for alfalfa production typically ranges in value among counties from $15,000 to $25,000 per acre. The land in this study is owned by the grower and cost $15,000 per acre. Small farms (50 acres and less) tend to have higher land costs than farms over 50 acres.
How much does a ton of alfalfa cost?
The start of 2020 saw the average U.S. price for alfalfa drop $4 per ton from December. The latest USDA Agricultural Prices report pegged alfalfa at $171 per ton, which was $8 per ton lower than one year ago.
Are hay farms profitable?
Brown says using 2019 numbers, it costs about $400 an acre to plant corn on ground that may yield 150 bushels per acre. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre. “The potential is there to make some pretty good money on hay.”
How many years will alfalfa grow?
Perenniality—The fact that the crop grows for 4-8 years, grows quickly with warm conditions in the spring is a major advantage of alfalfa—it can utilize residual winter rainfall before irrigation is necessary.
How much do alfalfa farmers make per acre?
Over a three-year average, alfalfa returns a profit of $98.82/acre compared to a $44.77/acre return for corn and $39.68/acre for soybeans, Miller estimated using information from Midwestern farms compiled through the FINBIN database.
How much alfalfa can an acre produce?
The average total yield is 20-35 tons per hectare (or 8-14 tons per acre) per year (distributed in 5-6 cuts). Top yields (intensive farming) can exceed 40 tons per hectare or 16 tons per acre per year.
How much is a ton of alfalfa worth?
How much does a 50lb bale of hay cost?
From the hay market, square bales, on average, will cost you between $3 and $10 per bale, but some farmers prefer selling their hay per pound, in which case such a bale will be around 50 pounds.
How many acre is a ton of alfalfa?
NASS also reported alfalfa hay yields of 3.36 tons per acre, but remember that this does not include haylage, so a reasonable working alfalfa hay yield figure is 4.5 tons per acre. Average yields are from a broad range of conditions, so you must estimate what your yield potential is based on past history.
How much does it cost to grow alfalfa per acre?
The grower will typically rotate out a portion (40 to 100 acres) of the alfalfa crop each year, produce a grain crop for 1 to 2 years, and then rotate back to alfafa. In this study, land is valued at $4,000 per acre. Establishment Operating Costs
When to plant alfalfa hay in the Intermountain Region?
Alfalfa in the intermountain region can be seeded in the fall or spring, but this study assumes a fall planting. In late August, alfalfa seed is planted at 20 pounds per acre at a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. The grower plants with a grain drill and pulls a cultipacker for better seed-to-soil contact.
When to seed a pasture for alfalfa and hay?
Alfalfa-grass seeded with an oat companion crop – Many alfalfa and grass-legume hay meadows are seeded in early spring with an oat companion crop. A seedbed is prepared and fertilizer is incorporated as needed during seedbed preparation.
What kind of equipment do you need to harvest alfalfa?
Harvest equipment owned by the farm consists of a self-propelled swather, center-delivery rake, a self-propelled balewagon (harrowbed), two engine-driven pull-type balers, and a hay squeeze.