Vol. I · No. 22 · Tuesday, July 28, 2026
USDA AMS Wire · Free Weekly
LIVE WIRE
Alfalfa · $243/ton ▲ +12.1%Alfalfa/Grass Mix · $303/ton ▲ +4.1%Grass · $118/ton ▲ +3.6%Mixed Grass · $168/ton ▲ +10.3%Bluestem Grass · $95/ton ▼ −3.3%Orchard Grass · $174/ton ▼ −9.8%Alfalfa · $243/ton ▲ +12.1%Alfalfa/Grass Mix · $303/ton ▲ +4.1%Grass · $118/ton ▲ +3.6%Mixed Grass · $168/ton ▲ +10.3%Bluestem Grass · $95/ton ▼ −3.3%Orchard Grass · $174/ton ▼ −9.8%

Hay prices, this week.

What hay is actually selling for — the national index, every reporting market, and where prices are trending. Built from USDA auction data, refreshed every Monday.

New to hay grades? Read the plain-language price glossary →

Why these numbers hold up

Every figure is parsed from official USDA AMS auction and direct-sale reports — exact reported trades only. No asking prices, no estimates, no interpolation. Refreshed every Monday, free to cite with attribution.

This week is filling in5 of ~22 typical markets have reported for the week of July 27, 2026 so far — numbers above show the completed week of July 20, 2026 and update as auctions report.
National index
$191
$/ton, all grades
Week over week
▲ +1.7%
vs. prior week · 34 price series matched
Markets reporting
15
113 quotes this week
Observed range
$65–$460
23 weeks of history

Hay Price Index

Weekly volume-weighted average ($/ton), USDA verified trades. Tap a commodity to compare.

Market DriversThe fundamentals behind the index — USDA NASS · EIA. Fundamentals, not forecasts.
Supply — Hay on farms
23.3M tons
down 3.3% vs a year ago
Texas 2.0M tons · South Dakota 1.9M tons · Missouri 1.6M tons
USDA NASS · as of May 1, 2026
Demand — Cattle on feed
11.37M head
up 2.2% vs a year ago
USDA NASS · as of Jul 2026
Freight — On-highway diesel
U.S. $5.31/gal
up $0.18 week over week
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) $5.09/gal · West Coast (PADD 5) $6.07/gal
EIA · as of Jul 27, 2026

Hay prices by state

21 states with prices in this view · shaded by average $/ton · hover for detail, click a state to see its markets for this view.

Alabama: $179/ton, 1 marketsArizona: $216/ton, 2 marketsArkansas: no report for this viewCalifornia: $213/ton, 7 marketsColorado: $220/ton, 4 marketsConnecticut: no report for this viewDelaware: no report for this viewDistrict of Columbia: no report for this viewFlorida: no report for this viewGeorgia: no report for this viewIdaho: $219/ton, 5 marketsIllinois: no report for this viewIndiana: $182/ton, 2 marketsIowa: $165/ton, 2 marketsKansas: $172/ton, 7 marketsKentucky: no report for this viewLouisiana: no report for this viewMaine: no report for this viewMaryland: no report for this viewMassachusetts: no report for this viewMichigan: no report for this viewMinnesota: $124/ton, 1 marketsMississippi: no report for this viewMissouri: $164/ton, 1 marketsMontana: $224/ton, 1 marketsNebraska: $175/ton, 4 marketsNevada: no report for this viewNew Hampshire: no report for this viewNew Jersey: no report for this viewNew Mexico: $239/ton, 3 marketsNew York: no report for this viewNorth Carolina: no report for this viewNorth Dakota: no report for this viewOhio: no report for this viewOklahoma: $192/ton, 3 marketsOregon: $222/ton, 5 marketsPennsylvania: $294/ton, 2 marketsRhode Island: no report for this viewSouth Carolina: no report for this viewSouth Dakota: $198/ton, 2 marketsTennessee: no report for this viewTexas: $68/ton, 1 marketsUtah: $245/ton, 3 marketsVermont: no report for this viewVirginia: no report for this viewWashington: $199/ton, 1 marketsWest Virginia: no report for this viewWisconsin: no report for this viewWyoming: $336/ton, 3 markets
avg $/ton≤$130$130–180$180–230$230–290>$290no report

Full state reports: California Colorado Texas Kansas Nebraska Oklahoma Missouri Iowa Idaho Montana Oregon Utah Washington South Dakota Tennessee Indiana Minnesota Alabama

Find your market all 34 quotes · every reporting USDA market, searchable and sortable
St Market Commodity Grade Avg Range WoW 12-wk
IAIowaAlfalfaGood$120$120$120— 0.0%
IAIowaAlfalfaPremium$200$200$200▲ +25.0%
IAIowaAlfalfa/Grass MixPremium$280$280$280▲ +3.5%
INTopeka INAlfalfa/Grass MixFair/Good$163$160$175▲ +9.9%
INTopeka INMixed GrassUtility/Fair$102$100$120▼ −15.2%
INTopeka INMixed GrassFair$145$145$145▲ +6.5%
INTopeka INMixed GrassFair/Good$165$165$165▲ +6.5%
INTopeka INAlfalfa/Grass MixFair$145$145$145▲ +11.5%
INTopeka INAlfalfa/Grass MixGood$230$230$230▲ +13.7%
INTopeka INMixed GrassGood$240$240$240▲ +14.3%
MNPipestone MNAlfalfaFair$115$115$115▼ −2.6%
MNPipestone MNAlfalfaGood$196$196$196▲ +9.2%
MNPipestone MNAlfalfa/Grass MixFair$90$90$90▼ −18.2%
MNPipestone MNGrassFair$97$97$97▼ −10.0%
MNPipestone MNGrassGood$160$160$160▲ +9.3%
MNPipestone MNGrassUtility$65$65$65— 0.0%
PAWolgemuth PA MonAlfalfa/Grass MixGood$267$267$270▼ −3.2%
PAWolgemuth PA MonAlfalfa/Grass MixPremium$337$328$374▼ −0.3%
PAWolgemuth PA MonOrchard GrassPremium$307$301$415▼ −9.8%
PAWolgemuth PA MonGrassGood$251$235$261▼ −7.2%
PAWolgemuth PA MonAlfalfaPremium$360$360$360▲ +19.1%
PAWolgemuth PA MonAlfalfa/Grass MixSupreme$425$425$425▼ −2.1%
PAWolgemuth PA MonGrassFair$178$178$178▲ +1.6%
PAWolgemuth PA MonOrchard/Timothy GrassFair$180$180$180▼ −2.7%
PAWolgemuth PA MonGrassPremium$303$303$303▼ −6.3%
PAWolgemuth PA MonAlfalfaGood$270$270$270▲ +8.0%
PAWolgemuth PA MonRyeN/A$137$137$137▼ −11.5%
PAWolgemuth PA MonOatN/A$140$140$140▼ −6.7%
SDDakota SD MonAlfalfaGood$218$212$235▲ +24.6%
SDDakota SD MonAlfalfa/Grass MixFair$165$165$165▲ +13.8%
SDDakota SD MonAlfalfa/Grass MixGood$212$212$212▲ +16.8%
SDDakota SD MonGrassFair$182$182$182▲ +23.9%
SDDakota SD MonGrassGood$212$212$212▲ +23.6%
SDDakota SD MonOatN/A$172$172$172

34 quotes this week · tap a header to sort · asking prices excluded.

Go deeper with Pro

Everything above is free. Pro unlocks full multi-year price history (CSV & Excel) and custom price alerts when your market moves.

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About this data

Prices come from USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News auction and direct-sale reports. We keep verified trades (excluding asking prices and weight-estimated per-bale conversions) up to a $600/ton ceiling that screens out gross data errors, aggregate by ISO week, and volume-weight by reported load count. Weeks with no observations are omitted, never interpolated. Source: USDA AMS Market News.

What is the average price of hay right now?

For the week of July 20, 2026, the HayWire national hay price index is $191 per ton (up 1.7% week over week), based on 113 USDA auction observations across 15 reporting markets. Observed prices ranged from $65 to $460 per ton depending on commodity, grade, and region.

Why do hay prices vary so much between regions?

Hay is bulky and expensive to haul relative to its value, so it trades in local markets rather than at one national price. Drought, freight, and local supply can push neighboring regions tens or hundreds of dollars per ton apart.

How often are hay prices updated?

Every Monday, after USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes the week's auction and direct-sale reports. The index, table, and chart on this page rebuild from that fresh data automatically.

What is the difference between free and Pro data?

All current and recent prices (about 12 weeks), the index chart, and the full market table are free and shown here. HayWire Pro unlocks full multi-year price-history downloads (CSV and Excel) and custom price alerts.

Where does HayWire's hay price data come from?

USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News auction and direct-sale reports, filtered to verified trades (asking prices and weight-estimated conversions are excluded) and aggregated by ISO week, volume-weighted by reported load count.

— END OF ISSUE —

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