By the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Hay acreage declined in the southeastern United States in 2024, but the region’s hay production rose 2 percent, and was up 17 percent in Arkansas, according to the Crop Production Summary from National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The summary — issued Jan. 10 — included information about U.S. hay production, acreage, and yield, as well as data for Dec. 1 hay stocks. The report categorizes the data into two segments: alfalfa and other hay, with other hay being particularly relevant for producers in the Southeast.
Map showing change in production of non-alfalfa hay between 2023-2024, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Arkansas saw a 17 percent increase in hay production. (Image from USDA)
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 percent increase year over year,” said James Mitchell, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System 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 percent from the previous year, Mitchell said.
“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 percent increase year over year, accounting for 18 percent of total U.S. hay supplies.”
Other hay production totaled 72.62 million tons in 2024, up 6 percent 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 percent.
“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 percent, 9 percent, and 4 percent, 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 percent.
“Conversely, Texas saw a 5 percent increase in hay acreage,” Mitchell said. “Despite the overall decline, improved hay yields offset these reductions.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.