12/08/06 Idaho forage

Forage producers in Idaho face some stiff challenges. They have high land costs, high energy and transportation bills, drought and labor shortages. Organic forage producers are concerned about unwanted genetic drift from nearby fields of high-tech crops while the traditional grower worries about weed seed from his organic neighbor. The University of Idaho's Glen Shewmaker says energy will be the major driver of the forage industry of the future, especially for Idaho dairy farms. SHEWMAKER "Because of the cost of transportation. Its better to transport lower qualities of a higher quality forage than it is more mass of a low quality." And that should lead to better quality forage. Shewmaker says despite all the potential problems things are looking up today and in the near future for forage producers. SHEWMAKER "All of the forages have been one of the bright spots in commodity agriculture. The price of dairy quality hay and even feeder quality hay are almost at record highs now. It just looks very positive to me." Shewmaker and other experts will gather in Reno next week for a conference on Pacific Northwest forage issues and they'll cover it all from marketing to pest management to future trends. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott