 | FREE · Issue 36 |
| Morning. Here’s what hay did last week, in about three minutes. Grass firms while alfalfa slides to $146/tonWeek of October 19, 2026 · USDA AMS · 100 verified trades · 23 markets At $146/ton, alfalfa gave up 13.2 percent, and the better lots slid too: Good alfalfa dropped $20 to $190/ton. If you're buying alfalfa, that works in your favor. The national index barely moved at $169/ton, down 0.3 percent, so the softness sits mostly in alfalfa. | The board | National index 23 markets | $169 | ▼ 0.3% | | Good alfalfa 4 auctions | $190 | ▼ $20 | | Alfalfa | $146 | ▼ 13.2% | | Orchard Grass | $145 | ▲ 5.0% | | Top mover Dakota, SD Good alfalfa, on 127 tons this week vs 65 last week | $229 | ▼ 2.4% | | Spread, high to low Dakota, SD $229 to Pipestone, MN $155 | $74 | | | Diesel, per gallon | $6.28 | ▲ $0.10 |
Hay prices: ▼ good for buyers · ▲ good for sellers | State of the week Nevada | Good alfalfa 9 trades, last 60 days | $211/ton | | Premium alfalfa 5 trades, last 60 days | $229/ton | | Premium forage mix-three way 5 trades, last 60 days | $190/ton |
Nevada’s full page → | Every state’s prices Tap your state for its markets, prices and trend. | Last week we said watch… | Milk Production, Thursday, October 22. This week's numbers carry no milk output figure, so dairy demand for top-grade alfalfa is still unconfirmed. | | Cattle on Feed, Friday, October 23. Cattle on feed came in at 11.37M head, -0.4% vs a year ago, softer rather than firmer. | | Grass at $108. Grass rose 0.9 percent and Mixed Grass rose 2.9 percent, so the grass side gained across more than one type. |
| What we’re watching this week | 1 | Agricultural Prices, Friday, October 30. USDA's monthly hay prices by state will show whether farm-level alfalfa is softening the way auction alfalfa did. | | 2 | Platte Valley Nebraska near $220. It ranked second only to Dakota, SD among this week's highs. Holding there would show top prices aren't one barn's story. | | 3 | Alfalfa/Grass Mix at $340. The mix rose 2.6 percent while straight alfalfa fell. Holding there would show buyers still pay up for the blend. |
| The Read The weakness is in alfalfa. Orchard Grass gained 5.0 percent and most grass types firmed. Dakota, SD offered nearly twice the hay and gave back only a little, so good alfalfa still finds buyers. Diesel at $6.28/gal, up $0.10, makes hauled-in loads cost a bit more. | Advertise This slot is open. It reaches hay buyers and sellers across the 23 USDA markets reporting this week, in the issue every Tuesday and on the site. Reserve it → | The Call · graded in public 7 of 14 graded Calls
were right. ■ right · □ wrong · misses included Latest Call: STEADY. Which markets to hold in, and the price levels we’re graded on, are in Pro. Call #28 (Sep 18) graded wrong. What Pro members read on Friday Good alfalfa sidesteps most of a 21.8% index drop The Alfalfa index fell to $131/ton, its lowest weekly reading since at least late summer, and on paper that helps buyers. The index pools alfalfa from every market that reported it, whatever the grade, so a heavy run of lower-quality hay can drag it down hard… The rest of the read, plus Friday’s Call: buy, wait or hold, with the price levels it’s graded on. | See you next Tuesday. HayWire P.S. Know someone who buys or sells hay? Forward this. Three sign-ups through your link and you get one month of HayWire Pro, free. Paid a price nobody published? Report it and once we’ve checked it, it runs in a future issue, credited to your region, never your name. | HayWire Ag LLC · Src: USDA AMS · haywireag.com 100 verified trades this week · For informational purposes only · Track record |
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