LUBBOCK, TX – A large share of U.S. hay trade remains difficult to track because private farmer-to-farmer sales often fall outside traditional market reporting.
Aiden Johnson, founder of HayWire Ag, says USDA reports provide valuable auction information but do not capture every private transaction. He says that leaves gaps for producers trying to determine current values in their region.
HayWire is building a broader price resource by combining USDA reports with confirmed private-market sales and producer-submitted transactions. Johnson says the goal is to show actual trades rather than asking prices.
The company reports state-by-state values and converts transactions to a per-ton basis for comparison. Johnson says better field-level reporting would improve the industry’s understanding of regional price movement and supply conditions.
Expanding private-sale participation remains a challenge because many transactions are never publicly reported. HayWire says it is working directly with producers to increase the amount of current market information available.
Farm-Level Takeaway: More reported private hay sales could give producers a clearer picture of regional prices before buying or selling.