05-05-2025
East Texas hay, forage conditions improve with rainfall
OVERTON, Texas (KETK)– Rainfall has helped improve hay and forage conditions in East Texas, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Producers are optimistic about their prospective yields throughout the hay growing season.
'Currently, if anyone has already harvested or is preparing to harvest hay, it's most likely a majority volunteer annual ryegrass,' AgriLife Extension state forage specialist and professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in Overton Vanessa Corriher-Olson Ph.D. said.
Prices for fertilized round bales in East Texas remain steady between $60 -$70 per bale and non-fertilized round bales are $45 per bale.
'We've had a lot of producers baling ryegrass and planting coastal Bermuda grass, which is a good thing,' AgriLife Extension Agent Truman Lamb said. 'There have been a lot of folks doing soil tests, which we have been stressing for years. As the cost of fertilizer goes up, producers can't afford to be over-applying or under-applying fertilizer.'
Producers are gauging how many bales to have on hand for the winter season while further south producers are optimistic despite drying conditions.
'According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, East Texas should have good growing conditions through the end of July,' Olsen said. 'Fingers are crossed.'
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