During 2016, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated 58 million tons of alfalfa hay and 125 million tons of corn silage were produced in the U.S. With that volume of forage being produced annually, there are a wide variety of production and price levels nationwide.

Forages represent a significant proportion of the feed costs of dairy production. The generation of high-quality silage is therefore important in determining the profitability of dairying. Addition of silage inoculants to freshly harvested forage can increase the likelihood of obtaining good-quality silage and should be viewed as an insurance policy for forage.