Farmers Are Milking an Appetite for American Hay
Chinese will soon surpass Americans in dairy consumption. Here’s the unexpected way it’s affecting some U.S. farmers
In 2011, Oregon Hay Products received an email from a Chinese dairy farm asking for a shipment of dairy-grade alfalfa hay. It was the beginning of a major change for the Boardman, Oregon, company.
Today, China accounts for almost half of Oregon Hay’s sales, with manager Vic Follen traveling to China three to six times a year for the company that exports for 50 or more U.S. hay farmers.
Follen, who quit his construction job after the 2008 economic downturn to join the family business, says the hay sales are the result of an uptick in Chinese dairy consumption, which includes milk powders and yogurts in addition to just plain milk.
Follen is one of many American hay merchants turning their sights to Asia, as Chinese dairy farms, eager to satisfy the Westernized tastes of a booming middle class, have ramped up orders for American hay, specifically dried and cut alfalfa, the cream of the hay crop.
They are taking advantage of the lower shipping costs afforded by all the empty containers heading back to Asia following deliveries of iPhones, sneakers, and furniture to the…
