Italy Alfalfa Market Size

Italy Alfalfa Hay Market Analysis

The Italian alfalfa hay market is projected to register a CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period.

• Alfalfa plays a significant role as a type of livestock forage for animal feed due to its high protein and digestible fiber content. The crop is mainly used for feeding dairy cows, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Italy is one of the key countries producing alfalfa. The increasing demand for dairy and meat products and the need to enhance feed quality are expected to drive the market's growth.
• The major factors influencing the alfalfa hay market include the increasing demand for quality hay for livestock and cattle population, prices of alfalfa hay, and price trends in alternative feed and forage. The use of alfalfa hay has become critical to poultry feed, followed by animal feed, since alfalfa hay is an excellent source of protein, both in content and quality.
• Dependence on alfalfa hay for animal feed may continue to drive the market over the forecast period. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the total cattle population accounted for 6,280.2 thousand heads in 2021 which was higher than the 6,400.0 thousand heads during the previous year, 2020.
• The increasing demand for dairy and animal products, shrinking land for grazing animals, growth in high-yielding cattle, and bred cattle demand for feed are driving the alfalfa hay market globally. The demand from commercial dairy operators for alfalfa hay is expected to increase due to the increase in investment in huge-scale dairy operations during the forecast period. However, the decreasing land acreage due to drastically growing urbanization, competition related to high-value crops, and water restrictions are some of the important factors hindering the growth of the alfalfa hay market.