Hay production declined from 2020 to 2021.
The USDA says production for all types of hay was 120.196 million tons, down 5% on the year, with the average yield decreasing slightly to 2.37 tons per acre on harvested area of 50.736 million acres. In 2020, production for all types of hay was 126.812 million tons with an average yield of 2.43 tons per acre and harvested area of 52.238 million acres.
The total included 49.246 million tons of alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, 7% below the previous year, while all other types of hay combined for 70.951 million tons, a decline of 4%, with both seeing fractional decreases in yield, at 3.27 and 2 tons per acre, respectively, and lower harvested area because of lower planted area.
