Start Date
2-27-1986 4:00 PM
Description
That more income is needed by Kentucky farmers is a well established and accepted fact. Although, the tobacco program appears to be yet viable, we have long needed to supplement the tobacco income with income from the remainder of the farm. I think this audience is also well aware of the potential· for producing hay in Kentucky, particularly alfalfa. Estimates in the University of Kentucky potential study indicate that we could have in this state two million acres of alfalfa with a projected potential income of a billion dollars a year generated for our farmers.
This potential income should not be interpreted as an objective since the big determinant in generating the income is marketing. Kentucky farmers have never considered hay as a cash crop. Probably less than 7% of the hay production is sold off of the farm on which it is produced. Sales generally are to a neighbor or someone near the site of production.
Any successful marketing program must contain several features. I will discuss briefly some of these features and point out where we are in Kentucky in the development of a system for marketing Kentucky hay.
Included in
Marketing Kentucky Hay
That more income is needed by Kentucky farmers is a well established and accepted fact. Although, the tobacco program appears to be yet viable, we have long needed to supplement the tobacco income with income from the remainder of the farm. I think this audience is also well aware of the potential· for producing hay in Kentucky, particularly alfalfa. Estimates in the University of Kentucky potential study indicate that we could have in this state two million acres of alfalfa with a projected potential income of a billion dollars a year generated for our farmers.
This potential income should not be interpreted as an objective since the big determinant in generating the income is marketing. Kentucky farmers have never considered hay as a cash crop. Probably less than 7% of the hay production is sold off of the farm on which it is produced. Sales generally are to a neighbor or someone near the site of production.
Any successful marketing program must contain several features. I will discuss briefly some of these features and point out where we are in Kentucky in the development of a system for marketing Kentucky hay.