MANURE IN LIEU OF FERTILIZER?
Monday, May 5th, 2008 -- 8:56 AM
A local ag expert doesn't think our area won't be as severely impacted by a fertilizer shortage as others."We do have a lot of livestock-based agriculture," says Matt Lippert of the Wood County Extension Office, "We do have a lot of farmers using manure. That manure is becoming increasingly valuable. I do encourage people to take their nitrogen and nutrient credits from their manure."
There have been reports this spring of spot shortages and soaring prices for fertilizer. Some kinds of fertilizer have nearly tripled in price in the last year.
Producers used to have trouble giving the stuff away, but manure is becoming a hot commodity.
"It appears in many cases now that the nutrient value is greater than the cost of spreading," Lippert explains, "That means farmers are starting to see that they're getting paid if they're selling their manure to somebody else."
Experts say putting fertilizer on the ground on a one-acre plot can, in typical cases, raise an extra ton of output.
All and all, Lippert says '07 was a great year to be farming in Wisconsin; '08 still looks good, but costs are starting to crimp the bottom line.
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