Pennsylvania Forage
Production For 2000
Based on year-end acreage and
yield data, production of alfalfa and
other hay was above last year’s pro
duction in Pennsylvania, according
to the Pennsylvania Agricultural
Statistics Service (PASS), This is
Pennsylvania’s first year in the
forage estimating program.
Alfalfa forage was harvested from
830,000 acres with an average yield
of 4.17 tons per acre, resulting in
total alfalfa forage production of
3.46 million tons. Alfalfa haylage
and greenchop production was 2.92
million tons.'
Acres harvested were 430,000,
with an average yield of 6.80 tons
per acre. Alfalfa dry hay production
was 2.02 million tons, 20 percent
above last year’s production.
Acres harvested were 650,000,
with a yield of 3.10 tons per acre.
Alfalfa acres newly seeded in
2000 for crop production in 2001 to
taled 130,000 acres, down 5,000
acres from a year ago. All other dry
hay acres harvested totaled 1.15
million acres, which yielded 2.10
tons per acre for a total productidn
of 2.42 million tons, up 44 percent
from last year.
Acreage for all forage production
totaled 2 million, with an average
yield of 3.17 tons per acre resulting
in total forage production of 6.35
million tons. Haylage and green
chop was harvested from 62,000
acres, with an average yield of 6.25
tons per acre for a total production
of 3.87 million tons.
(Continued from Page 14)
rious issues if they reach U.S.
shores. With the rapid spreading
ability of FMD, immediate disposal
is the only answer. Think about
your situation and how this would
affect you and your farming en
terprise. Costs could be very high
and could even mean severe eco
nomic hardship.
Consider the issue of biosecurity
on your farm. Are you taking pre
cautions to keep diseases from
coming onto your farm or from leav
ing your farm? Remember Alan’s
situation and continued problems in
deadline with Johne’s. Perhaps you
need to have a disinfectant station
available for visitors coming onto
your farm. Perhaps you will prevent
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 21,2001, Foraging Around-
visitors from coming onto your farm
without knowing where they have
been within the past week.
The USDA announced that ef
forts to prevent the importation of
FMD and BSE to the U.S. have been
stepped up. Inspections at ports of
entry have been increased and a ban
on all importation of swine and
ruminant animal products is in
effect.
The virus for FMD can live in a
human respiratory system for up to
five days, although it is not a threat
to human health. It can survive on
contaminated clothing for 10 to 12
weeks. According to some sources,
FMD can live in dry manure for 14
days, in slurry manure for 39 days,
in urine for 39 days, and on the soil
surface for three days in the summer
(if conditions are cool and moist, for
up to 28 days). There is documenta
tion that the virus has traveled air
borne for 156 miles. Is this serious?
You bet it is, because the disease
spreads very easily and rapidly.
The public, particularly the trav
eling public, needs to be educated on
how they can be a carrier of this dis
ease. The USD A has instituted such
an educational campaign, but we all
need to do our part to help pass the
word along. We all have a vested in
terest in preventing an outbreak in
the U.S.
The season for pasture walks,
field days, and other informational
meetings on the farm is just about to
get under way. Let’s plan appropri
ate biosecurity measures now to
avoid any problems later on.
There are many sources of infor
mation on biosecurity, such as
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service’s Website, http://
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cahm/;
Penn State Cooperative Extension;
or The Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture.
If you need more information on
this or other grazing issues, stop by
any of our local county NRCS of
fices and discuss your needs with
them.
Do you have a
iter wagon ready
igh pasture &
move water wagon with cows Our unit provides plenty
of water so cows won’t knock it over
• Leveling stand • Pull by hand, tractor, etc
• Salt block holder • 150 gal &50 gal sizes
Also available steel float-bracket w/1" male fitting
Dealerships Available
C.K. Manufacturing
Custom Welding & Fabricating
Truck Racks & Trailers
99 E. White Oak Rd., Paradise, PA 17562
Between Nickel Mine & Rt. 896
610-593-7938
If I can help you in any way, give
me a call at (717) 237-2221, e-mail
me at duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov,
or write to me at NRCS, One Credit
Union Place, Suite 340, Harrisburg,
PA 17110-2993.
Until next time, happy grazing !
215
GRAZERS
The Grass
Is Growing
Again!