Alfalfa Seed Production - Publication

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
MONTANA FIELD OFFICE
th
10 West 15 Street, Suite 3100, Helena, MT 59626
Cooperating with the Montana Department of Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2015

Contact: Eric Sommer
(800) 835-2612

2014 ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION
Alfalfa seed production in Montana for 2014 is estimated at 3.40 million pounds, up 75,000 pounds from last year’s production
estimate. Harvested acreage totaled 10,000 acres, an increase of 600 acres from 2013. Of that, 7,000 harvested acres were irrigated,
compared with 3,000 non-irrigated acres. On average, producers harvested 340 pounds of alfalfa seed per acre, down from 353 pounds
in 2013. The irrigated yield, at 440 pounds per acre, was unchanged from last year, while the non-irrigated yield increased from
100 pounds per acre in 2013 to 105 pounds per acre in 2014.
Producers who used leaf cutter bees used an average of 3.1 gallons of bees per acre, a decrease of 0.5 gallon from the rate of bees used
in 2013. Leaf cutter bees were used on 90 percent of the reported irrigated acreage this year, compared with 82 percent last year.
Proprietary varieties of alfalfa seed made up 73.1 percent of production in 2014, while common varieties accounted for 26.9 percent.
Of the proprietary varieties cleaned, 5.8 percent of the seed cleaned was certified.
The average price received for the 2014 crop was $2.36 per pound, up $0.82 from last year’s average price.
Montana Leaf Cutter Bees 2011-2014
Total
Year

Irrigated

Gallons of Bees
per Acre

Percent of Acreage

Gallons Used per Acre

2011

3.3

74%

3.5

2012

3.3

95%

3.4

2013

3.6

82%

2.7

2014

3.1

90%

3.1

Montana Alfalfa Seed Production
Millions of Pounds

4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
2010

2011

Irrigated

2012

2013

2014

Non-Irrigated

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Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

Harvested
Acres
6,200
5,800
6,100
10,700
12,200
8,900
7,100
7,000
6,600
7,000
9,400
10,000

Alfalfa Seed Acreage, Yield, Production, and Value for Montana from 2003-2014 1/
TOTAL
IRRIGATED
NON-IRRIGATED
Total
Total
Total
Yield
Yield
Price/
Total
Harvested
Harvested Yield
Production
Production
Production
Pound
Value
Acres
Acres
Pounds
Pounds
Pounds
335
2,075,000
$1.01 $2,095,750
4,100
460
1,886,000
2,100
90
189,000
382
2,214,000
$0.99 $2,191,860
3,900
532
2,075,000
1,900
73
139,000
413
2,519,000
$1.13 $2,846,470
5,100
450
2,295,000
1,000
224
224,000
399
4,270,000
$1.13 $4,825,100
6,500
518
3,367,000
4,200
215
903,000
360
4,391,000
$1.34 $5,883,940
7,000
533
3,731,000
5,200
127
660,000
383
3,407,000
$1.95 $6,643,650
6,100
507
3,093,000
2,800
112
314,000
459
3,258,000
$1.94 $6,320,520
5,900
499
2,944,000
1,200
262
314,000
465
3,258,000
$1.66 $5,408,280
6,600
486
3,208,000
400
125
50,000
415
2,741,000
$2.02 $5,536,820
4,900
496
2,430,000
1,700
183
311,000
403
2,820,000
$2.11 $5,950,200
4,300
600
2,580,000
2,700
89
240,000
353
3,320,000
$1.54 $5,112,800
7,000
440
3,080,000
2,400
100
240,000
340
3,395,000
$2.36 $8,012,200
7,000
440
3,080,000
3,000
105
315,000

1/ Totals may not add due to rounding.

District
Northwest
North Central
Northeast
Central
Southwest
South Central
Southeast
Other
Montana

Acres
(D)
700
400
(D)
-3,700
2,700
2,500
10,000

Alfalfa Seed Acreage, Yield, and Production by District, 2014 1/
TOTAL
IRRIGATED
Yield
Production
Yield
Production
Acres
Pounds
Pounds
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
331
232,000
700
331
232,000
213
85,000
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
-----527
1,950,000
(D)
(D)
(D)
215
580,000
900
439
395,000
219
548,000
5,400
454
2,453,000
340
3,395,000
7,000
440
3,080,000

NON-IRRIGATED
Yield Production
Acres
Pounds
(D)
(D)
(D)
---(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
---(D)
(D)
(D)
1,800
103
185,000
1,200
108
130,000
3,000
105
315,000

1/ Totals may not add due to rounding.
(D) - Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations

District
North West
North Central
Northeast
Central
Southwest
South Central
Southeast
Other
Montana

Acres
(D)
(D)
(D)
1,100
-3,700
2,800
1,800
9,400

Alfalfa Seed Acreage, Yield, and Production by District, 2013 1/
TOTAL
IRRIGATED
Yield
Production
Yield
Production
Acres
Pounds
Pounds
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
542
596,000
1,100
542
596,000
-----335
1,238,000
3,000
380
1,140,000
307
860,000
1,400
534
748,000
348
626,000
1,500
397
596,000
353
3,320,000
7,000
440
3,080,000

NON-IRRIGATED
Yield Production
Acres
Pounds
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
(D)
---------700
140
98,000
1,400
80
112,000
300
100
30,000
2,400
100
240,000

1/ Totals may not add due to rounding.
(D) - Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations

The Alfalfa Seed Survey is funded by the Montana Alfalfa Seed Committee in cooperation with the Montana Department of Agriculture.