ALFALFA INVESTMENT
Transcript of ALFALFA INVESTMENT
ALFALFA INVESTMENT
AND PRODUCTION GUIDE
Foreword
Alfalfa is one of the oldest and the most important fodder crops. It is thought that alfalfa
started being cultivated 8,000 years ago in Asia, from where it draws its origins (Ivanov). During
the long history of its cultivation, alfalfa production has been transferred to other continents,
where it is still being cultivated. Perennial varieties of alfalfa are very wide-spread all over the
world, and depending on the climate the most widely available varieties are Medicago sativa L
(common purple alfalfa), Medicago media Pers. (hybrid alfalfa), and Medicago falcata L (yellow
alfalfa). (Pajic and Markovic) 1
Prior to the devaluation of the Lebanese Lira, alfalfa production in Lebanon was not economically
viable, except in large landholdings (ARE-Calculations). Given the demand from dairy producers
and the fact that alfalfa prices in Lebanon closely follow global prices, in dollars, the economics
of alfalfa production have become more favorable, especially for landowners.
Thus, USAID -Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE)Activity has developed this production
and investment guide to help potential growers understand the economics and technical
production aspects of growing alfalfa. If you are interested in investing in alfalfa production and
are interested in ARE support, please follow this link to learn more.
https://daleel-madani.org/civil-society-directory/chemonics-international-inc/calls/agriculture
and-rural-empowerment-are-activity-aps00 I -annual-program-statement
Mature alfalfa field ready far harvest (Credit Chemanics International, Inc.)
1- Pajic, Nemanja & Markovic, Todor.(2016). Economic results in alfalfa seed production. Ratarstvo i povrtarstvo. 53. 111-1 15. I 0.5937/ratpov53-10851.