Alfalfa checkoff begins in January

By Hay and Forage Grower

It’s been discussed most of the year and now the time has arrived. The first ever initiative to secure funding for alfalfa research through a checkoff program will begin on January 1.

Officially named the U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative (AFRI), the voluntary program was conceived and approved by the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) board of directors earlier this year.

Alfalfa brand marketers voluntarily have agreed to assess a $1 checkoff per bag of alfalfa seed sold. To date, the alfalfa seed brands participating in the program include:

Alforex Seeds

America's Alfalfa

Browning Seed

Channel

CROPLAN

DEKALB

Dyna-Gro

Fontanelle Hybrids

Forage First

Gold Country Seed

Hubner Seed

Jung Seed Genetics

Kruger Seeds

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Legacy Seeds

Lewis Hybrids

NEXGROW

Prairie Creek Seed

ProHarvest Seeds

Rea Hybrids

S&W Seed Company

Simplot Grower Solutions

Specialty

Stewart

Stone Seed

W-L Research

Research input sought

NAFA is currently seeking input from farmers and industry representatives to help develop research priorities that will be used to direct and award the collected checkoff dollars. Selecting your top research priorities can be easily done at www.alfalfa.org.

All of the funds raised in the checkoff program will be used to support public research; no administrative costs will be paid with checkoff dollars. It is the first farmer-funded checkoff program that the alfalfa industry has ever had.