AUDIO: Tony Hancock, Missouri Department of Agriculture
The market manager for the Missouri Department of Agriculture says he’s hearing early reports of Alfalfa weevil pressure. Tony Hancock tells Brownfield, “It may not the earliest we’ve ever been in history, but it’s definitely early.”
He says some producers have already had to spray. “Some of them have sprayed twice or getting very close to thinking they’re going to have to spray twice before it’s time to actually harvest,” he says. “We had such wild weather in March and overall March averaged about 7 degrees above normal and that really got those weevils out early.”
And, he says it could also result in an earlier harvest. “We might see some of those guys cut some of that alfalfa just because of the weevil pressure,” he says. “Probably very likely to see some guys start making some baleage and wrapping some of that high moisture hay.”
Hancock says hay supplies throughout the state are moderate, prices have been steady to weak for average quality hay while prices for higher-end hay remain steady.
