Hay acreage declined in the southeastern United States in 2024, but the region’s hay production rose 2%, and was up 17% in Arkansas, according to the Crop Production Summary from National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The summary — issued in January — included information about U.S. hay production, acreage, and yield, as well as data for Dec. 1 hay stocks, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The report categorizes the data into two segments: alfalfa and other hay, with other hay being particularly relevant for producers in the southeast.
For the 2024-25 marketing year that started in May and ends in April, “hay stocks were higher compared to the previous year, totaling 21.01 million tons, which represents a 47% increase year over year,” said James Mitchell, extension economist for the Division of Agriculture.
In the southeast — a region comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia — hay stocks on May 1 reached 2.80 million tons, up 15% from the previous year, Mitchell said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“These stocks, combined with the increased hay production in 2024, have elevated hay supplies to their highest level since 2020,” he said. “Total hay supplies for the 2024-2025 marketing year are 143.47 million tons. In the southeast, the 2024-2025 hay supplies total 25.49 million tons, a 3% increase year over year, accounting for 18% of total U.S. hay supplies.”
Other hay production totaled 72.62 million tons in 2024, up 6% from the previous year and marking the largest annual total since 2020.
In Texas, the largest hay-producing state, production reached 11.52 million tons, more than double the total from two years prior, when it was just 5.7 million tons. In Arkansas, production increased 17%.
“The USDA’s estimate for Arkansas surpassed what I would have predicted last summer,” Mitchell said. “For several states included in the southeast total, hay production was impacted by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. Specifically, production in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee was down by 24%, 9% and 4%, respectively.”
All U.S. hay acreage declined by 3.38 million acres in 2024 to 49.39 million acres. In the southeast, hay acreage decreased by 9.84 million acres, or 3%.
“Conversely, Texas saw a 5% increase in hay acreage,” Mitchell said. “Despite the overall decline, improved hay yields offset these reductions.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.