California
State code CA · Pacific region · 3 USDA hay markets reporting
Latest annual (2024)
Production4.64M tonsValue: $981MUSDA NASS SURVEY annual
Yield5.40 tons/acreAlfalfa: 6.80 · Grass: 3.60USDA NASS SURVEY annual
Acres harvested860K acAll hay (alfalfa + grass + mixed)USDA NASS SURVEY annual
Carryover supply + drought
May 1 stocks 2025350K tons+55.6% YoYUSDA NASS on-farm stocks
Dec 1 stocks 20251.60M tons+14.3% YoYUSDA NASS on-farm stocks
Drought DSCI · week 2026-07-0767 (D2)DSCI 0 (none) → 500 (all D4). Tier = worst level reached this week.USDM (US Drought Monitor)
Full supply context
Yield (all hay)5.40 tons_acre (2025)5-yr median 5.39 +0.2%
Yield (alfalfa)6.80 tons_acre (2025)5-yr median 7.20 -5.6%
Yield (grass)3.60 tons_acre (2025)5-yr median 3.30 +9.1%
Acres harvested860K acres (2026)5-yr median 830K +3.6%
Production4.64M tons (2024)5-yr median 4.63M +0.1%
On-farm stocks (May 1)350K tons (2025)5-yr median 280K +25.0%
On-farm stocks (Dec 1)1.60M tons (2025)5-yr median 1.40M +14.3%
NASS does not publish weekly hay crop condition for California.
California — 10-year trends
California annual history (last 30 years)
| Year | Production tons | Yield | Acres | May 1 stocks | Dec 1 stocks | Production $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | — | 860K | — | — | — |
| 2025 | — | 5.40 | 820K | 350K | 1.60M | $981M |
| 2024 | 4.64M | 4.94 | 940K | 225K | 1.40M | $1.05B |
| 2023 | 4.28M | 5.15 | 830K | 325K | 1.55M | $1.03B |
| 2022 | 4.63M | 5.39 | 860K | 280K | 1.16M | $1.54B |
| 2021 | 5.15M | 6.21 | 830K | 220K | 1.20M | $1.18B |
| 2020 | 4.61M | 5.59 | 825K | 420K | 1.64M | $825M |
| 2019 | 5.79M | 5.74 | 1.01M | 270K | 1.35M | $1.09B |
| 2018 | 5.68M | 5.80 | 980K | 150K | 1.40M | $1.08B |
| 2017 | 6.39M | 5.60 | 1.14M | 330K | 1.85M | $1.07B |
| 2016 | 6.79M | 5.57 | 1.22M | 340K | 1.80M | $1.01B |
| 2015 | 6.89M | 5.79 | 1.19M | 320K | 1.90M | $1.19B |
| 2014 | 7.51M | 5.59 | 1.34M | 140K | 1.75M | $1.73B |
| 2013 | 7.65M | 5.58 | 1.37M | 320K | 1.90M | $1.52B |
| 2012 | 8.13M | 5.42 | 1.50M | 240K | 1.77M | $1.65B |
| 2011 | 7.98M | 5.66 | 1.41M | 160K | 1.64M | $1.78B |
| 2010 | 8.30M | 5.61 | 1.48M | 432K | 1.85M | $1.03B |
| 2009 | 8.89M | 5.77 | 1.54M | 470K | 2.40M | $927M |
| 2008 | 9.41M | 5.85 | 1.61M | 250K | 2.38M | $1.80B |
| 2007 | 9.04M | 5.76 | 1.57M | 202K | 1.89M | $1.41B |
| 2006 | 9.57M | 5.70 | 1.68M | 192K | 1.78M | $1.05B |
| 2005 | 9.21M | 5.68 | 1.62M | 215K | 1.84M | $1.18B |
| 2004 | 9.22M | 5.76 | 1.60M | 306K | 1.77M | $1.05B |
| 2003 | 9.48M | 5.85 | 1.62M | 200K | 2.09M | $852M |
| 2002 | 9.77M | 5.59 | 1.75M | 228K | 1.84M | $925M |
| 2001 | 8.78M | 5.63 | 1.56M | 180K | 1.93M | $1.00B |
| 2000 | 8.60M | 5.58 | 1.54M | 381K | 1.98M | $771M |
| 1999 | 8.78M | 5.56 | 1.58M | 428K | 2.29M | $767M |
| 1998 | 8.55M | 5.25 | 1.63M | 420K | 3.25M | $790M |
| 1997 | 8.41M | 5.57 | 1.51M | 160K | 1.60M | $968M |
Recent monthly prices (last 120 months)
USDA NASS state-level monthly price-received for hay ($/ton, all classes).
| Month | $/ton |
|---|---|
| 2026-06 | $223 |
| 2026-06 | $223 |
| 2026-06 | $255 |
| 2026-06 | $200 |
| 2026-06 | $230 |
| 2026-05 | $200 |
| 2026-05 | $200 |
| 2026-05 | $255 |
| 2026-05 | $225 |
| 2026-05 | $220 |
| 2026-05 | $220 |
| 2026-04 | $225 |
| 2026-04 | $220 |
| 2026-04 | $195 |
| 2026-04 | $220 |
| 2026-04 | $250 |
| 2026-04 | $195 |
| 2026-03 | $223 |
| 2026-03 | $230 |
| 2026-03 | $200 |
| 2026-03 | $223 |
| 2026-03 | $200 |
| 2026-03 | $223 |
| 2026-03 | $260 |
| 2026-02 | $223 |
| 2026-02 | $223 |
| 2026-02 | $260 |
| 2026-02 | $230 |
| 2026-02 | $200 |
| 2026-02 | $200 |
| 2026-02 | $223 |
| 2026-01 | $222 |
| 2026-01 | $260 |
| 2026-01 | $210 |
| 2026-01 | $225 |
| 2026-01 | $222 |
| 2026-01 | $222 |
| 2026-01 | $210 |
| 2025-12 | $219 |
| 2025-11 | $229 |
| 2025-10 | $224 |
| 2025-09 | $221 |
| 2025-08 | $218 |
| 2025-07 | $225 |
| 2025-06 | $228 |
| 2025-05 | $231 |
| 2025-04 | $237 |
| 2025-03 | $229 |
| 2025-02 | $229 |
| 2025-01 | $224 |
| 2025-01 | $226 |
| 2024-12 | $237 |
| 2024-11 | $232 |
| 2024-10 | $229 |
| 2024-09 | $221 |
| 2024-08 | $221 |
| 2024-07 | $228 |
| 2024-06 | $229 |
| 2024-05 | $222 |
| 2024-04 | $230 |
| 2024-03 | $240 |
| 2024-02 | $248 |
| 2024-01 | $244 |
| 2024-01 | $226 |
| 2023-12 | $238 |
| 2023-11 | $215 |
| 2023-10 | $220 |
| 2023-09 | $239 |
| 2023-08 | $222 |
| 2023-07 | $242 |
| 2023-06 | $259 |
| 2023-05 | $262 |
| 2023-04 | $287 |
| 2023-03 | $312 |
| 2023-02 | $330 |
| 2023-01 | $344 |
| 2023-01 | $243 |
| 2022-12 | $352 |
| 2022-11 | $336 |
| 2022-10 | $348 |
| 2022-09 | $336 |
| 2022-08 | $333 |
| 2022-07 | $333 |
| 2022-06 | $331 |
| 2022-05 | $325 |
| 2022-04 | $321 |
| 2022-03 | $286 |
| 2022-02 | $277 |
| 2022-01 | $266 |
| 2022-01 | $333 |
| 2021-12 | $240 |
| 2021-11 | $222 |
| 2021-10 | $232 |
| 2021-09 | $233 |
| 2021-08 | $221 |
| 2021-07 | $219 |
| 2021-06 | $231 |
| 2021-05 | $223 |
| 2021-04 | $216 |
| 2021-03 | $191 |
| 2021-02 | $186 |
| 2021-01 | $179 |
| 2021-01 | $230 |
| 2020-12 | $176 |
| 2020-11 | $179 |
| 2020-10 | $177 |
| 2020-09 | $172 |
| 2020-08 | $176 |
| 2020-07 | $178 |
| 2020-06 | $180 |
| 2020-05 | $184 |
| 2020-04 | $191 |
| 2020-03 | $187 |
| 2020-02 | $189 |
| 2020-01 | $192 |
| 2020-01 | $180 |
| 2019-12 | $189 |
| 2019-11 | $191 |
| 2019-10 | $189 |
| 2019-09 | $187 |
Compare California to peers
Side-by-side with 4 other states from the Pacific region.
Compare on production tons →Compare on yield (t/ac) →Compare on acres harvested →Compare on may 1 stocks →
All numbers from USDA NASS (SURVEY series) and USDM Drought Monitor. Market detail (auctions, direct reports, by family/grade/bale) is at the full California hay view.