The hay situation
The August Crop Production report from USDA-NASS included forecasts for 2026 hay production. The hay crop year runs from May to April, so the total hay supply includes May 1 carryover hay stocks plus current year production. Total U.S. May 1 hay stocks were up 19.5 percent year over year, but total hay production is expected to be down 9.3 percent, leading to a 7.2 percent decrease in the 2026 total hay supply (Table 1).
Table 1 shows the top ten states for each category: May 1 Stocks, All Hay Production, Alfalfa Hay Production, and Other Hay Production. The top ten states for May 1 stocks accounted for 62.6 percent of total May 1 stocks, with stocks higher year over year for each of the ten states. Total May 1 stocks were up 19.5 percent over the 2015-2024 average.
August 21, 2026
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