|
Livestock production,
dairying, cheese production and meat processing are all industries
that make this area a tremendous bounty of agricultural
production. Livestock numbers vary over the years.
However, we seem to have some long time trends. Feedlots
(for both beef and dairy heifer development) are one of the more
popular enterprises, with three large commercial feedlots and
numerous smaller feedlots located the in county. We have an
abundance of good quality forage and feed grains.
By-products from the potato and sugar beet industries are
supporting feeds that contribute to making the feedlot industry a
very thriving business in the area.
The same features
(especially our ability to grow top quality forage) make dairying
an attractive enterprise for our area. In 2005, Mini-Cassia
has 43,500 milk cows with many new dairies under construction.
Several people from out of state are building new dairies while
some of the local diary men in the county are increasing in size.
Locally grown alfalfa hay, corn silage and barley provides
affordable feed for dairy herds. The premium quality alfalfa
contributes to the high percentage of fluid grade milk
consistently produced. The Mini-Cassia area aids Idaho's
ranking as the nation's fifth largest milk producer with 5.3
percent of the country's market share. Kraft, a local cheese
production facility, turns the Mini-Cassia area's milk production
into a variety of cheese products to be marketed internationally.
The sheep industry
has shown an increase in interest after a slump in the early
1980's and several farmers are choosing to market forage through
sheep. The Mini-Cassia area is the winter home for 56,000
head of sheep that spend their summers in Idaho's high mountain
ranges. Most of the bands will lamb out before leaving for
the range.
Rangelands support
grazing of an average of 125,000 cattle and 14,000 sheep annually.
Private and government owned range lands are being well utilized
by the livestock producers. The ranges have been improved by
the spraying of brush and other weeds, the seeding of grass,
adding more stock watering facilities and management or prevent
overgrazing. There is still more work to be done in stock
water development and rotation grazing that will enable producers
to manage their ranges for a maximum sustained production and
profit.
Production of
swine may be increasing with a demand for information on how to
construct hog producing equipment and housing. Cassia County
has the largest farrow to fat swine operation in the state.
One producer has 2,400 sows and fattening over 20 - 24,000 head of
feeder pigs.
Poultry production is small with
only a few producers of fryers and laying hens. Turkeys are
almost as rare a bird as peacocks
in Cassia County. |
