Saskatchewan Hay and Pasture Report

Volume 24, Issue 1 | May 31, 2023

Saskatchewan Hay & Pasture Report

Welcome to the first edition of the 2026 Hay & Pasture Report.

The SFC brings you the Hay & Pasture Report four times annually during the growing season. We look forward to providing you with production information and hay pricing as the season continues.

Visit the SFC Website

Saskatchewan Agriculture Crop Report

Excerpts from the Report for the period June 16-22, 2026

Seeding in Saskatchewan is nearly finished with 99 per cent completed. Attention has shifted to in season activities, including haying operations, herbicide applications and monitoring for pests and diseases.

Over the past week, most regions in the province received significant rainfall. While these rains were welcomed in some areas, excessive precipitation in others has led to saturated fields. Combined with periodic high winds, these conditions have delayed in-crop spraying operations in several regions.

Hayland topsoil moisture is:

15 per cent surplus;
77 per cent adequate;
7 per cent for short; and
1 per cent very short.

Pasture topsoil moisture is:

12 per cent surplus;
78 per cent adequate; and
10 per cent short.

Read the full Crop Report here

Reports on hay and pasture conditions from neighbouring provinces

Excerpt from Manitoba Crop Report

Weekly Crop Report as of June 23, 2026

In the Northwest region, beef hay harvest has not yet begun. Grasses are headed out and alfalfa is mostly at late bud with blossoms beginning to appear on the odd plant. Weather is currently not favorable for harvest and many beef producers will hold off for higher dry matter.

• Cool, wet conditions have slowed forage growth. Annual crops intended for feed would benefit from warmer temperatures.

• As roads are repaired and water recedes around Swan Valley and along the Shell and Assiniboine Rivers, access to pasture and hay fields is improving, though affected sites will see reduced forage production due to overland flooding.

• Southwest Manitoba beef producers are preparing for first cut, with average yields expected. Alfalfa across the region ranges from 10–24 inches, and grasses from 8–18 inches, with some grasses beginning to head out.

• The Interlake region continues to experience excess moisture, delaying first-cut haying and other field operations. Where fields are dry enough, producers have begun first-cut hay or silage, and grain-crop spraying is underway. Grasses are fully headed, and alfalfa is now flowering.

In Northeast Manitoba, alfalfa is now past 25% bloom and grasses are fully headed. Ongoing weather instability is delaying field operations and affecting first-cut quality. In the southern part of the region, more beef producers have begun first cut. Forage quality ranges from excellent to average. A significant portion of feed is expected to be harvested as silage due to the ongoing frequency of rain events.

• Dairy producers are well into first-cut silage harvest across the province, with intermittent rain and wet conditions causing some delays. Several farms have already completed their first-cut.

In multiple regions, silage corn for beef cattle is developing well, supported by recent rains. Wet weather has made spraying difficult, and more rain this week may cause further delays

Read the full report here

Excerpt from Alberta Crop Report

Crop Conditions as of June 16, 2026

Moisture patterns across the province remain highly variable. Many areas throughout the southern part of the province have received timely and sufficient precipitation that has replenished soil moisture and supported crop development. The central and northern areas are experiencing excess moisture, with standing water in low-lying fields and delayed emergence due to saturated soils and cool weather. This variability is occurring within regions and counties as well. Regions with more rain have also reported that some seeding acres remain unfinished due to saturated fields.

Most regions showed stability in the percentage of pasture rated good-to-excellent (prior week’s rating). Regionally, pasture growth in the South was rated at 59 (63), the Central at 74 (72), the North East at 93 (90), the North West at 82 (84), and the Peace at 43 (30) per cent.

Provincial tame hay conditions (70 per cent good-to-excellent) are rated above the 5- and 10-year averages (53 and 63 per cent, respectively), with similar trends across the regions. While growth is reported to be progressing well, slow initial growth and frequent rain have limited provincial haying progress compared to previous years. Only one-half per cent of dryland hay has been cut, compared to progress of 3 per cent reported last year and the 5-year average of 2 per cent complete.

Read the full report here

Annual crops for silage

by: Alberta Agriculture

Most silage on the prairies is made from annual crops, especially cereals. Producing annuals for silage is similar to producing them for commercial seed or grain except that crop inputs are directed to optimizing total dry matter yield.

Quality is similar between varieties of a crop species. The differences between similar crops, such as the various cereal crops, is less than that between very different crops such as cereals compared to legumes. Protein quality comparisons are:

oats – 9% protein
barley – 10% protein
spring rye – 10% protein
triticale – 10% protein
sunflower – 12% protein
field peas – 18% protein
fababean – 20% protein

There can be variations in quality from year to year. In a four year comparison at the Lacombe Research Station for example, Grizzly oats showed crude protein percentages ranging from 7.1 to 9.3.

Cereal silage

Cereals are easily ensiled since water soluble carbohydrate levels are high, buffering capacity is low, and moisture content is easily controlled. Since quality, especially protein content, is relatively low, cereals should be harvested before they get too mature. The maximum total yield and total protein is obtained by harvesting at or before the soft dough stage, depending on the species. At this stage moisture content is usually about 65% so the crop should be ensiled very soon after swathing. For lengthening the period of harvest it is usually better to use high yielding varieties or species with varying maturity dates rather than to delay seeding with one variety. Using one variety seeded at various dates usually results in lower overall yields.

Canola: Guidelines for Feed Use

by: Manitoba Agriculture

Canola either for silage or hay is not commonly used in Manitoba but can be a valuable feed option during drought or feed shortages. While canola and other brassica species (e.g., turnips, kale) are widely used elsewhere, certain precautions are necessary to ensure livestock health.

Variety Considerations

Modern canola varieties are safe for ruminants; glucosinolates are primarily a concern in traditional rapeseed and affect swine/poultry more than cattle.
Forage-specific canola varieties exist in some regions, but grain varieties can also be used for silage.

Canola Hay

Swath should cure to 16–18% moisture before baling, requires wilting time
Initial moisture: 75–80%, requiring extended drying (up to one week or 4-6 days).
Use mower-conditioners to speed drying but avoid excessive leaf/pod loss.
Baling with dew can reduce shattering losses.
Blackened swaths during curing do not affect palatability.

Targeted Grazing for Vegetation Management

By: Grassland Restoration Forum

What is Targeted Grazing? Targeted grazing is defined as:

Targeted grazing uses livestock timing, frequency, intensity, and selectivity to apply herbivory pressure on target plant species or portions of the landscape to reach specific vegetation objectives. It can be a useful tool to manipulate plant cover in both mature plant communities and in areas recovering from disturbance. Although a simple concept, it is more complex in practice and relies on an understanding of several different interacting factors, including the interactions between plants and herbivores. These reports delve into the details of plant-herbivore interactions, and the various considerations that should be taken into account when developing a targeted grazing prescription in western Canada.

Visit the Grassland Restoration Forum to see fact sheets on: plant and animal interactions; livestock profiles; plants; stock-poisoning plants and monitoring protocols.

Hay pricing information

Saskatchewan Hay Market Report

The Saskatchewan Forage Council gathers forage price information throughout the year, through a variety of sources including online ads on Kijiji, Facebook and other publications/forums, as well as through personal communications.

There is little forage pricing information to report at this time of year. The following asking prices (old crop) were discovered for June 2026:

Alfalfa-Grass hay: $100/bale

Cereal straw: $40-50/bale

Small squares: $6-10/bale for last year's crop of hay, depending on type of hay and quality.

There appear to be more buyers than sellers at this time of year.

To view our most recent Forage Market Report (Winter 2025/2026), please visit the Saskatchewan Forage Council's Resources page.

USDA Market News Service Hay Report

June 25, 2026

Wyoming Hay Report: Compared to the last report most hay prices were sharply higher. Demand is very good from local and out of state buyers. Light tonnage, very little carry over along with short irrigation water this year has driven prices up a lot across the Cowboy state. But in reality, hay prices have not jumped upward as much as the price of a calf or feeder cattle. Spotty rain showers along with some hail in different areas of the state in the last two weeks. Tonnage a little lighter than many producers would like as input cost have jumped upward this year. Many producers commented that the hay quality is way better than previous years. .

South Dakota Hay Report: Very good demand for all classes and qualities of hay, as drought conditions grip a very large region. Rains have been spotty, leaving many areas seeing little moisture at all which has greatly affected forage production. Cattle producers from western regions are in dire need of hay as grass is short and their hay crops look to be very limited. A large amount of wheat has been baled as growth was so poor across South Dakota. There were good rains across the central part of the state last week. Grass hay production is greatly diminished across a large section of the state. Second cutting of alfalfa underway East River, tonnage reduced in those dry areas.

Montana Hay Report: Compared to last report(6-12-26): Hay was too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed on limited sales. Hay movement was very light the past two weeks. Most ranchers have cows and calves turned out and are not feeding hay. Hay supplies remain very light. Some new crop hay sales have been seen, however sales are light. Producers report that demand for hay is very good. Most producers want to get hay put in the bale before they establish any prices. However, some producers are pricing hay off delivered prices from surrounding states in order to stay competitive. Hay is being delivered into Western Montana mostly from Washington and Eastern and Central Montana from the Dakotas for 225.00-250.00 depending on freight. Rains continue to fall across the state and this has helped first cutting in many locations. Producers report that with cooler and wetter conditions, alfalfa has yet to hit bloom stage for first cutting in many places. Many in higher elevations hope to cut first over the next two weeks. Many producers report that much of their entire years production has already been spoken for, but many have yet to price it until they know the quality and quantity of the hay they are going to put up. Southern and eastern Montana producers are wrapping up first cutting or waiting on 2nd. Yields are down significantly according to producers who have first cutting on the ground. According to the drought monitor 76.66% the state is in Moderate drought or worse, up 2.01% from 2 weeks ago. 31.30% of the state is in an Severe drought or worse, up 2.41% from 2 weeks ago. 6.41% of the state is in Extreme drought or worse, up 0.61% from 2 weeks ago. 0% of the state is in Expectational drought, unchanged from 2 weeks ago. Notably, 85.90% of the state is abnormally dry, up 1.35% from 2 weeks ago.

View the hay reports, hay prices and hay quality designations at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/hay-reports

Saskatchewan Forage Council Sponsors

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The Saskatchewan Forage Council Gratefully Acknowledges funding for our 'Facilitating Forage Initiatives in Saskatchewan' project through the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association Industry Development Fund:

The Saskatchewan Hay & Pasture Report is published by the Saskatchewan Forage Council and is available online at www.saskforage.ca. If you are interested in re-printing content, please contact our office prior to use. Opinions and information are provided by the authors and publication does not imply endorsement by the SFC.