Europe Alfalfa Hay Market Size

Europe Alfalfa Hay Market Analysis

The European Alfalfa Hay Market is expected to register a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period.

• In Europe, the major alfalfa-producing countries are Spain, France, and Italy. In Western Europe, Spain is the principal exporter of alfalfa hay, followed by France and Italy, thus contributing significantly to the European alfalfa hay market. Alfalfa acreage in Europe is devoted either to the production of dehydrated forage, mainly as hay. Because of its high agronomic potential and its ability to produce large amounts of protein per unit area, alfalfa has a role to play in European agriculture, even if some challenges have to be faced. A major effort should be devoted to harvesting machinery. For example, mowing machines equipped with roll conditioners would make it possible to speed up the drying process, thus reducing quality losses. On-farm barn drying is an emerging technique in some European regions, especially where high-quality products, such as protected-designation-of-origin cheeses, are produced.
• Alfalfa is extremely well adapted for such a production system, as it dries more quickly than other forages in the drying cells under ventilation. Alfalfa will keep an important place in European agriculture. Its favourable features can be further enhanced through technical and varietal innovation aimed at improved energy efficiency and reduced costs. The use of alfalfa hay has become critical to poultry feed, followed by animal feed in recent years, due to its importance of crude protein content. Owing to its nutritional benefits, dependence on alfalfa hay for animal feed may continue to drive the alfalfa hay market, globally, over the forecast period.