The average price for alfalfa hay rose $7 per ton from February and settled at $166 in March, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Prices report. It appears that alfalfa hay has found its happy spot in the $160 to $170 range, which is where it has been since last August. The March 2026 price was $2 below the posted price from one year ago. Historically, hay prices will peak during a year in April or May.
The average price for grass hay in March remained about the same at $138 per ton, which was $1 below February and $6 under the price from a year ago.
The price paid for Supreme and Premium alfalfa hay during March moved up a modest $1 per ton to $230 per ton. During this time of year, high-quality hay is getting harder to find.
Five states posted double-digit price improvements from February to March. Iowa was up $19 per ton, while Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming were all up by $10.
Three states had a double-digit hay price decline. Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were all down by $10 per ton compared to the previous month.
The highest average March alfalfa hay price was reported in Pennsylvania at $265 per ton. New Mexico and New York followed at $250, while Kentucky posted a $240 per ton average price.
North Dakota had the lowest average alfalfa price at $94 per ton. It was followed by South Dakota at $98 and Nebraska at $101 per ton.
Keep in mind that USDA average prices account for all qualities and bale types of hay sold. Also, the final U.S. estimate is a volume-weighted average rather than a simple average of state values. Those states with the most sales volume will impact the final U.S. dollar value more than those states with fewer sales.
Supreme and Premium
The USDA also tracks the prices of Supreme and Premium quality alfalfa in the major dairy states and determines an average price from the five top milk-producing states (California, Idaho, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin). This data is used to determine feed prices in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.
During March, the average price of Supreme and Premium alfalfa hay rose by $1 per ton, posting at $230. The average high-quality alfalfa hay price was still $12 per ton lower than a year ago.
Other hay
The March average price of other hay was reported at $138 per ton, which was down $1 from the previous month and $6 lower than March 2025.
The highest March price for hay other than alfalfa was reported in New Mexico at $210 per ton. Pennsylvania followed at $207, while California, Oregon, and Washington posted a $200 per ton price.
North Dakota had the lowest reported other hay average price at $67 per ton. It was followed by Oklahoma at $75 per ton.
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