Colorado Hay Report

Compared to last week, trade activity and demand light to moderate.  
Northeast Colorado 2nd cutting alfalfa harvest underway.  Oat hay harvest 
will begin this weekend.  Southeast Colorado is still battling extreme 
drought as they are beginning to harvest 2nd cutting alfalfa.  Cattleman 
are reporting that emergency grazing is being allowed on CRP grass in an 
attempt to retain cow herds.  In the San Luis Valley, dairy quality 
alfalfa beginning to trade on new crop with prices firm due to drought 
conditions in northern New Mexico.  1st cutting alfalfa hay in southwest 
Colorado is starting to move at price levels acceptable to producers.  No 
trades were reported in the Mountains and Northwest Colorado regions as 
hay producers are holding out for better market conditions on old crop 
horse quality hay with new crop to be harvested soon.  According to the 
U.S Drought Monitor’s High Plains Summary released July 09, 2020; A 
second week with widespread and abundant rains across much of the Dakotas 
and Montana, along with field reports on the rains impacts, justified 
large-scale 1-category improvements in western North Dakota (D1 to D0), 
northwest South Dakota (D1 to D0), southeastern Montana (D1 to D0), 
southwestern South Dakota (D0 to none), and parts of Montana (D0 to 
none). Field crops have responded, with both Dakotas reporting mainly 
fair to good conditions for corn, soybeans, barley, oats, winter and 
spring wheat, along with pasture and range conditions. Montana’s wheat 
and barley were also doing well. Farther south, scattered showers brought 
some relief to hard-hit sections of southwestern Kansas (D3 and D2) and 
southeastern Colorado, the latter area where the D4 area was eliminated 
after 0.5-2.5” of rain. In eastern Colorado, Kit Carson County received 
heavy rain, necessitating a D0 bubble on the map. However, where the 
rains were not as plentiful or were missed, dryness and drought expanded. 
This included D0 and D1 expansion in south-central North Dakota, 
northeastern and southeastern South Dakota, northeastern, south-central, 
and southwestern Nebraska, and southeastern Kansas. In Wyoming, a 
reassessment of conditions from field reports and indices included some 
reduction of D0 and D1 in western sections where it has been wet the past 
30-days, but the addition of 3 small D2 areas in central and southeastern 
sections. The former lone D2 area in Wyoming was removed as indices did 
not support it.  According to the NASS Colorado Crop Progress Report for 
week ending July 05, 2020, 1st cutting harvested alfalfa hay is at 93 
percent, 2nd cutting at 13 percent with crop condition percentages for 
alfalfa hay rated 8 percent Very Poor, 11 percent Poor, 28 percent Fair, 
46 percent Good and 7 percent Excellent.  Stored feed supplies were rated 
2 percent very short, 19 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 3 
percent surplus.  The next available report will be Thursday, July 16, 
2020.  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 150, DEL.
                  Fair/Good 145.00-150.00.
                  Fair 135.00.
   Ground/Delivered:  200.00, contract.
                
  Alfalfa/Grass
   Small Squares: Premium 307.50 (10.00), Retail/Stable.
  Grass
   Large Squares: Premium 190.00, DEL.
   Small Squares: Premium 335.00 (10.00 per bale), Retail/Stable.
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

Southeast Colorado Areas
  Alfalfa
     Mid Squares: Supreme 180.00.
   Small Squares: Premium 240.00 (8.00 per bale).
                
  Grass
   Small Squares: Premium 315.00 (9.00 per bale), Retail/Stable.
  Triticale
     Mid Squares: Premium 140.00.
    Large Rounds: Premium 125.00.
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

San Luis Valley Areas
  Alfalfa
   Large Squares: Supreme 205.00.
  Alfalfa/Grass
   Large Squares: Premium 325.00, Organic.
   No reported quotes for all other classes of hay.

Southwest Colorado Areas
  Alfalfa
   Large Squares: Supreme 180.00.
       90# 3-tie: Supreme 310.00 (14.00 per bale), Retail/Stable.
   No reported quotes from all other classes of hay.

Mountains and Northwest Colorado Areas
   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.

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