Sage-Tips

Why does China import alfalfa?

China’s rapid transition toward larger-scale commercial dairy production, with enhanced feed and cost management as well as quality and safety control, and its limited resources for high-quality alfalfa production are key factors for the dramatic increase in its alfalfa imports, from 19 601 metric tons in 2008 to 1.38 …

Where does the US export hay to?

Global Trade in Alfalfa & Grass Hays, 2001-2017 (source: ITC Trade Map). US Leads. The United States is the leading hay export country, followed by Australia, Spain, Canada and Italy (Figure 4).

What state exports the most hay?

Leading 10 U.S. states based on hay production in 2019 (in 1,000 tons)*

Characteristic	Production in thousand tons
Oklahoma	5,935
California	5,795
Idaho	5,111
Kentucky	4,424

What is the biggest use of alfalfa in the US?

Alfalfa is a highly nutritious, perennial legume that contains high concentrations of vitamins B, C, D, and E. Most of the alfalfa grown in the United States is used as feed, particularly for dairy cattle.

Do we export hay to China?

Alfalfa hay exports to China in 2020 were 40\% greater than during the tariff-riddled year of 2019. The country imported just a little over 300,000 MT of U.S. alfalfa in 2020, down 25\% from 2019 and 37\% below 2018. For several years, we have heard reports of a Saudi phase out of alfalfa production to conserve water.

Does Utah sell alfalfa to China?

Hay production has gone up significantly in Arizona and Utah alongside a steep climb in hay exports. Yes, a lot of that water-guzzling alfalfa is going to feed cattle and horses in China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and elsewhere. Also of note: In 2020 Utah, alone, exported alfalfa hay valued at $124 million.

Does the US ship hay to China?

In the previous two years, government-imposed tariffs severely cut the amount of alfalfa hay being shipped to China. Hay exports still remain a small portion of total U.S. hay production. Based on USDA data for 2020, only 3.5\% of all U.S. hay produced and 5.6\% of all alfalfa hay enters the export market.

What state produces the best alfalfa?

Alfalfa is California’s highest acreage crop, and California is currently the leading producer of alfalfa hay in the United States (Fig. 1.9).

Where is the best alfalfa grown?

Arizona is the highest-yielding state, with an average of about 7.9 tons/acre. Arizona grows mostly non-dormant varieties under irrigation, and alfalfa is harvested 8-10 times per year.

What state has the best alfalfa hay?

Where is alfalfa grown USA?

Alfalfa seed is primarily grown in the northwestern areas of the U.S. in the states of California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming. The approximate production of alfalfa seed in 2015 for the U.S. is 50.5 million pounds.

Does California export alfalfa?

Less than 6 percent of the alfalfa grown across the U.S. is exported, said Daniel Putnam, an agronomist and the University of California, Davis.

What is alfalfa hay?

It brings the desert alive with hundreds of hectares of lush green fields – much of it alfalfa hay, a water-hungry but nutritious animal feed which once propped up the dairy industry here, and is now doing a similar job in China.

Who buys Californian Hay?

Japan, Korea and the United Arab Emirates all buy Californian hay. The price is now so high that many local dairy farmers and cattle ranchers can’t afford the cost when the rains fail and their usual supplies are insufficient. But they have to buy what they can.

Is it cheaper to send Alfalfa from La to Beijing?

It’s now cheaper to send alfalfa from LA to Beijing than it is to send it from the Imperial Valley to the Central Valley. “We need to treat the resource as finite, which it is,” he says.

What’s up with the Hayhay trucks in Imperial Valley?

Hay trucks are a common sight heading north up the road from the Imperial Valley – despite the high prices, the cattle farmers have to buy what they can. Even with recent rains in northern California there’s still a critical shortage of water.