Seasonal Prices Timing of alfalfa sales also affects growers' marketing plans. Alfalfa, like most agricultural commodities, exhibits a seasonal price pattern due to seasonal supplies, seasonal demands, or a combination of both. Prices increase steadily on average through the production season and on through the fall and early winter months. Prices peak in January, remain high through February and March, then drop sharply until the new alfalfa harvest begins. Prices in April also fall below the annual average price in anticipation of the new crop year.
Price indexes provide some insight into longer-term alfalfa hay price patterns.
However, any single year's price pattern may deviate from the seasonal average and the typical pattern. Still, it is useful to know what the normal seasonal price pattern is when making marketing decisions. A high price is not the sole goal in marketing, though price is certainly important. One strategy alfalfa growers might consider is marketing lower quality alfalfa hay from the field and storing higher quality alfalfa to market later in the marketing year. These amounts were used along with total livestock numbers to estimate alfalfa consumption by state.