Hay and barley production down

Wisconsin's alfalfa hay harvest is expected to be 3.11 million tons, 18 percent below last year, according to the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service.

Yield is forecast at 2.7 tons per acre, 0.2 ton less than last year. Acres harvested are expected to be 1.15 million, that's 150,000 fewer than last year. U.S. alfalfa production is forecast at 64.7 million tons, 5 percent below 2010.

Wisconsin's production of other types of hay is forecast at 735,000 tons, 3 percent below last year. A total of 350,000 acres are expected to be harvested, with an average yield of 2.10 tons per acre. Nationally, other hay production is forecast at 67 million tons, 14 percent below last year.

Wisconsin produced 705,000 bushels of barley in 2011, down 51 percent from 2010 according to the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service. Area planted to barley (at 33,000 acres) was down 27 percent from last year, while area harvested, at 15,000 acres was down 50 percent. Yield was down 1 bushel from last year to 47 bushels per acre.

On the national level, barley production fell 14 percent from 2010 to 155 million bushels, the lowest since 1936.