Water scarcity in the Middle East is prompting a new and keen demand for pure timothy and pure alfalfa hay, a market that could be tapped by Ontario farmers.
A couple of farmers have tried growing pure timothy, seeding a variety that has larger heads, can be planted like winter wheat in the fall and harvested early the following year.
The Ontario Hay and Forage Council is inviting participation to build a compactor in Southwestern Ontario that will cost $10 to $15 million and will squeeze dried and baled hay to about half its size so more can be packed into a container to ship from Montreal.
The key is harvesting peak-quality hay and getting moisture content to less than 18 per cent, usually requiring an on-farm investment in a drier so hay can be harvested quickly before rains reduce quality.
Fritz Trauttmansdorff says the Middle East opportunity is timely because the governments are rationing water to farmers, cutting off irrigation for forages so there’s enough to grow the crops that humans consume.
That has dairy herd and camel owners scouting for imported forages and because their demands are relatively new, it’s simply a matter of selling hay to them without having to compete to wedge a way into markets where competitors are well established.
