Published on July 7 2022 8:07 am
Last Updated on July 7 2022 8:08 am
BY DANIEL GRANT, FARMWEEK
Illinois farmers plan to harvest more acres of hay this season.
USDA estimates farmers will cut 520,000 acres of hay this year statewide, up 4% from 2021, with a mix of 300,000 acres of alfalfa and 220,000 acres of all other hay, but the quality and output of the crop still come down to weather conditions as parts of the state experienced a recent run of stormy conditions while other areas continue to dry out.
“My (hay) inventory is adequate right now,” said Don Brown, past president of the Illinois Forage and Grassland Council (IFGC) from Davis (Stephenson County). “We were dry. There’s no subsoil moisture,” he noted. “Then we got an inch two weeks ago and 1.5 inches of rain (July 5). That’s going to pick things up.”
Illinois farmers completed 97% of the first cutting of alfalfa (1 point ahead of the average pace) and 32% of the second cutting (8 points behind average) as of July 3. They harvested 95% of other hay as of the same date, which was in line with the average pace.
“May was so wet, we didn’t get started with the first cutting until the latter part of the month,” said David Schaefer, past IFGC board member from Beecher City (Effingham County). “We had tremendous yields, but very low quality. By the time we finished the first cutting, the second cutting was ready. We tried to make mostly small squares on the second cutting,” he continued. “We’ve got seven barns for hay and they’re getting close to half full, with some straw, too. It’s all sold.”
Brown reduced his hay production area this season, but also put in new seeding and rented out a portion of his acres. “I rented out part of my hay crop to a dairy farmer,” he said. “So, they’re utilizing it. We’ve all got to make some adjustments.”
Overall, U.S. farmers plan to harvest 771,000 more acres of hay, up 1.5% from last year, partly in response to tight livestock feed supplies and high prices, but weather will play the most important role in determining yields and quality as always.
“One of the key elements for hay production is yield and the number of cuttings that can be accomplished in one season,” authors of the CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report noted. “This can be significantly impacted by weather, in terms of forage quality, tonnage and the logistical ability to get the hay cut, dried and baled.”
Schaefer also reported significant insect pressure in his area. “Insects are a big problem this year, including weevils and potato leaf hoppers,” he said. “They like dry weather.”
Meanwhile, a mix of extreme weather conditions in recent weeks eroded pasture conditions around the state. Pasture conditions in Illinois as of July 3 ranked 52% good to excellent (down 9 points from the previous week), 32% fair and 16% poor to very poor.
