Farmers fear hay shortage

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Army worms and ongoing dry weather have combined to restrict Missouri's hay supply and drive up its price.

"This is as tight as the supply's been in a long time," said Clyde Jones, who grows alfalfa hay and orchard grass near Marionville. "I've had to quit selling to customers who are not my old, longtime customers."

As winter approaches, beef, dairy and equine farmers seek hay to feed their stock while there's no green grass for grazing.

Normally, there are plenty of farmers hawking hay, but this December, hunting hay has been harder than usual. And once a supply of hay is found, the prices are significantly higher than they were this time last year.

Eldon Cole, beef specialist with the University of Missouri Outreach and Extension, said last summer's outbreak of army worms caused many local farmers to produce much less hay. Dry weather in areas that typically supply a lot of the area's hay -- such as northern Missouri and Kansas -- also contributed to the shortage.

Alfalfa hay in December 2000 cost $110 to $130 a ton, Cole said, while this December the typical price has been $135 to $150 per ton. Grass hays in 2000 cost about $65 per ton, while in 2001, that price has been closer to $85 per ton, Cole said.