Agricultural economics

Custom rates for cutting, raking and baling

I need to know what current custom rates are for cutting, raking and baling big round bales of fescue. Also, could you give me some idea of what the price for fescue round bales ranged over the past year? Finally, on a rough percentage basis, if I own fescue ground and have someone custom bale it, what is a fair price range for me to receive per bale?

We only update our custom rate survey data every third year. Our last survey in 2006 found the average rates were:

Mowing hay
$9 per acre
Raking hay
$4.30 per acre
Baling hay
$8.08 per 1,000 pound bale
Mow, rake and bale
$13.69 per bale

Certainly fuel and other costs have increased significantly since 2006. I would expect rates this summer to be 10 percent to 20 percent higher than in 2006.

I don't maintain a data series on hay prices. The Missouri Department of Agriculture publishes a weekly hay price report.

Ron Plain
Department of Agricultural Economics

More recent agricultural economics questions and answers

Updated 5/21/08