This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah horse and livestock owners are paying lower prices for alfalfa hay, Utah's No. 1 cash crop.
Baled alfalfa hay was $190 per ton in June, down $1 per ton from the previous month and down $8 from last year. Other hay at $153 per ton was the same as the previous month but down $5 from last year, according to a report by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Utah's planted acreage, including hay, wheat, barley, oats and corn, is up 9 percent from last year. Leading the way is alfalfa at 570,000 acres, up 14 percent from last year. Other hay acreage also is up at 165,000 acres, a 3 percent increase from the previous year. Together, all hay acreage is up 11 percent from last year, the agency's Utah Field Office said.