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There have been questions about the possibility of Kentucky farmers selling and shipping hay to Texas and other southern tier states to help in drought relief that has stricken that area for most of the year.
Tom Keene, hay specialist at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, put together a “punch list” of some of items that farmers should be aware of before shipping their hay.
— Have your hay tested by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture before shipping and send test results with hay when it is shipped.
— Weigh several bales prior to shipping so that you can estimate approximate amount that the truck can haul.
— Contact the Texas Department of Agriculture for farmer contact information at 1-512-463-7476. Katherine Steele is in TDA’s communications wing.
— The Texas Department of Agriculture has the Hay and Grazing Hot Line for buyers and sellers at 1-877-429-1998. The department’s website is www.tda.state.tx.us.
— If possible, let the buyer arrange trucking.
— Make sure hay is completely tarped from top to bottom and securely strapped for transportation.
— Represent hay honestly and send a boxed sample prior to shipment if requested.
— Require a substantial deposit (or full payment) be sent prior to shipment of hay. This can be a deal breaker from both parties standpoint. However, if you ship a load of hay to Texas (or any other state for that matter) and the receiver feels that he has not received the hay that he contracted for, how will you collect your money? How would you get the hay back to Kentucky?
— There do not seem to be any hauling restrictions or limitations on hauling hay into Texas.
— Remember that it is about 1,000 miles from Winchester to central Texas. Therefore, it takes very high quality hay to justify the cost of shipping .
For additional information about hay quality, please contact the Clark County Cooperative Extension Service at 744-4682.