Hay Exports Took a Dip in 2026
- ZISK
- Mar 6
- 1 min read
Hay exports in 2025 totaled 2.7 million metric tons (MT), according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). This was down 17% year-over-year, following a relatively flat trend the previous year. Trade disputes and steep exchange rates with our nation’s largest hay export markets had a significant impact on the reduced annual total.
China and Japan — the biggest consumers of U.S. alfalfa and grass hay, respectively — imported substantially less product in 2025. In fact, for the first time since 2020, total hay exports to Japan surpassed that for China, which speaks to the severity of China’s softened demand for U.S. alfalfa.
March 3, 2026
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