New Forage Budgets Help Missouri Farmers Plan For 2026

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION

HIGGINSVILLE, MISSOURI

 If you’re thinking about planting alfalfa, chopping corn silage or getting started with native warm-season grasses, the  from University of Missouri Extension can provide valuable guidance, says MU Extension agricultural business and policy field specialist Katie Neuner.

MU Extension offers budgets for a wide range of forages from alfalfa to fescue seed and corn silage, Neuner said. Traditional cool-season grass budgets (establishment, hay) remain among the most widely used tools across Missouri. Updated seed, fertilizer and herbicide prices, along with realistic yield, custom hire rates, and machinery cost estimates, make these projections more practical than ever, she said.

“The budgets can help you make real decisions, whether that’s figuring your break-even selling price or comparing the cost of production for different forage systems,” she said. “Use MU budgets as a starting point and customize them for your situation.”

An improvement for 2026 is the addition of sensitivity tables in the Excel workbook that accompanies the forage budgets. “When prices or yield drop, it’s easy to lose sight of where you stand,” Neuner said. “The sensitivity tables make it simple to see right away how those changes affect your returns.”

Forage highlights

The 2026 budgets compare Roundup Ready and conventional alfalfa systems and break out small square bales, round bales and baleage. For example, the alfalfa small square bale budget estimates a net income of $343 per acre after accounting for all operating and ownership costs, said Neuner.

“With much of Missouri still facing drought stress, native warm-season grasses (NWSG) continue to attract interest,” she said. “The 2026 budgets include five NWSG planting options with varied seed mixes and establishment times (spring planting vs. dormant season planting). While startup costs can be high, and full forage production may take up to four years, the long-term payoff looks good. MU budgets project a net income over total costs of around $200 per acre on native warm-season grasses once fully established.”

Cool-season grass establishment was estimated to cost $330 per acre.

Customizable tools for your operation are available as downloadable PDFs and as an Excel workbook that allows producers to enter their own costs, yields and prices.   ∆

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION