Hay / Feno

This name is given to the herbs that are consumed by animals after being dried. The timing of the hay harvest is determined by the need to obtain abundant and high-quality forage at the same time. On the coast, the plants are harvested in May, while in the highlands, this operation takes place in July.

The hay from Ponta de S. Lourenço is the best produced in Madeira, but a lot of dry grass from Caniço, S. Gonçalo, Camacha, etc., also comes to Funchal for the consumption of stabled cattle. Around 500,000 kilograms of Madeiran hay enter the city annually, generally consisting of species from the grass family. A lot of wheat straw from Portugal is also used as animal feed.

Formerly, the average price for every 15 kilograms of Madeiran hay was 30 cents, but in the current year, the hay from Ponta de S. Lourenço was sold for 150 cents.

The Andropogon hirtus and the Agrostis castellana, very common grasses in Madeira, are known as 'hay', even when green.