Now Good Time to Consider Nutrient Needs

Now is a good time to consider nutrient needs

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

It’s time to consider what your farming operation’s nutrient or fertilizer needs will be for this crop year.

Jim Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Far West Agribusiness Association says there are several things to consider when determining nutrient needs.

Fitzgerald: “Probably the most important thing is to ensure your supply because it is a critical component to crop production and price is always important but is secondary as it is a vital requirement for any kind of crop production. So the first thing is what is available, when it is available, then what the prices are.”

Fitzgerald shares that February is usually when many of the fertilizer retailers have grower meetings.

Fitzgerald: So more than likely retailers are going to be letting the farmers know what is available and what kind price range they’re in. They may do that in a group setting or they may do that in one-on-one based upon how much product -- because scale of economies always work to your advantage. That is going to be taking place during the month of February. So farmers probably are ready, if they haven’t already, get some soil tests, to start running their calculations on how many acres, what they are going to plant, what those needs are and have those in hand as they go to the grower meetings in February.”

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.