The Argentine Magic Seed That Could Generate US$ 250 Million Annually

Alfalfa has the same profitability as soybeans or corn, adapts to almost all environments and zones, and its potential export growth could take it from the US$66 million it currently bills with a 1.5% share of the global hay market to US$250 million. From the alfalfa cluster, created in 2019 in the province of Córdoba, they maintain that "the global hay market seems to have no ceiling, at least in the short term". And that is why they call it green gold. The coordinator, Gastón Urrets Zavalía, who is also a reference at INTA Manfredi for preserved forages based on alfalfa, specifies that the projection is due to the "point of no return" process of livestock intensification that leads to a highly demanding feed of silages and hays provided in totally mixed rations delivered to animals in feeders. Currently, the cluster has around 100 members and more than 10 provinces adhered, such as Chaco, La Rioja, La Pampa, and Buenos Aires. In addition to technical support, it offers a ...