Overview of Alfalfa Production and Market Trends in La Paz County

Abstract

Alfalfa producers in the Colorado River region of La Paz County have experienced some shifting trends in markets and production over the last 15 years. Acreage has increased steadily from a low of 25,000 acres in the early 1980's to a high of nearly 45,000 acres in 1997. Average annual alfalfa hay yields in La Paz County have maintained a fairly flat trend ranging from 7.5 to 8.5 tons per acre during this time. Alfalfa hay prices were severely depressed during the summer of 1986, from summer of 1991 through winter of 1992, and during the summer of 1995. In contrast, La Paz County alfalfa hay producers experienced the strongest markets during the winters of 1984, 1990, and 1995. More recently, since the winter of 1996, producers have experienced the strongest alfalfa hay market in the history of La Paz County with on farm prices reaching an all time high of $136 per ton.