In 2011, the Texas hay harvest was mostly non-existent due to persistent drought and a great effort took place to ship hay into Texas from as far away as North and South Dakota.
Texas is still experiencing drought conditions in many areas, but early and recent rains have an exceptionally good outlook for baled hay, especially in the eastern half of Texas, according to Southwest Farm Press.
The first hay harvest of the season is underway and the quality is better than it has been in many years. This is good news for cattle ranchers.
Texas leads the nation in cattle production. Texas was also the hardest hit after the worst single drought year on record, but ranchers have started a slow restocking of their herds with hopes of building back to pre-drought levels. An ample supply of first-rate quality hay is a step in the right direction.