Colorado Hay Report

   Compared to last week, trade activity light.  Demand good on alfalfa and 
grass hay, with the bulk of market activity in the retail/stable markets.  
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor for March 13, 2018, the last 5 months have 
been intensely dry from southern Kansas and adjacent Colorado southward through 
western Oklahoma, parts of northeastern New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. 
Most of this area has recorded only 0.05 to a few tenths of an inch of 
precipitation since early October, and impacts have steadily intensified. Winter 
wheat is struggling to grow, even in irrigated fields, and many crops planted 
after the early October rains never germinated.  The USDA NRCS National Water 
and Climate Center’s Colorado SNOTEL Snow/Precipitation Update Report for 
Thursday, March 15, 2018 has the Gunnison River Basin Snow Water Equivalent at 
56 percent, the Upper Colorado River basin at 77 percent, the South Platte River 
Basin at 81 percent, the Laramie and North Platte River Basins at 86 percent, 
the Yampa and White River Basins at 77 percent, the Arkansas River Basin at 57 
percent, the Upper Rio Grande Basin at 51 percent and the San Miguel, Dolores, 
Animas and San Juan River Basins at 48 percent as a percent of the median of all 
SNOTEL sites in each basin compared to previous years.  The next available 
report will be Thursday, March 22, 2018.  All prices reported are FOB at the 
stack or barn unless otherwise noted.  Prices reflect load lots of hay.  If you 
have hay for sale or need hay, use the services of the Colorado Department of 
Agriculture website: www.coloradoagriculture.com.

Northeast Colorado Areas
  Alfalfa
   Large Squares: Good 170.00, Delivered.
   Mid Squares: Premium/Supreme 270.00, Retail/Stable.
   Small Squares: Supreme 285.00 (8.50 per bale), Retail/Stable.
   Ground and Delivered: 200.00, Contract.
  Grass
   Large Squares: Premium 225.00.
   Mid Squares: Premium 305.00-312.50, Retail/Stable.
  Corn Stalks
   Large Squares: Good 65.00.
  Wheat Straw
   Large Squares: Good 80.00.   
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

Southeast Colorado Areas
  Grass
   Small Squares: Premium 263.50 (7.25 per bale).
  Sorghum Sudan Grass
   Rounds: Good 75.00.
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

San Luis Valley Area
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

Southwest Colorado Areas
   No reported quotes from all other classes of hay.

Mountains and Northwest Colorado Areas
  Grass
   Mid Squares: Good 180.00.
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

Northeast: Weld, Washington, Morgan, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Lincoln, Elbert, 
Adams, Sedgwick, Yuma, Larimer, Jefferson, Douglas, Kit Carson, Phillips, 
Logan, Boulder, Arapahoe, and El Paso.
Southeast: Fremont, Custer, Huerfano, Las Animas, Bent, Otero, Prowers, 
Crowley, and Pueblo.
San Luis Valley: Saguache, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Rio Grande, and 
Mineral.
Southwest: Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, Montezuma, Dolores, 
San Juan, Hinsdale, Archuleta, and La Plata.
Mountains and Northwest: Moffat, Routt, Jackson, Rio Blanco, Garfield, 
Gunnison, Teller, Grand, Chaffee, Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Summit, 
Lake, and Eagle.