LUCERNE has long been recognized as a highly nutritious forage crop, traditionally utilized for hay and now widely used for grazing stock on the shallower soils subject to summer drought. A recent commercial development in New Zealand is the use of lucerne to produce a dehydrated product. Export production from the Winslow factory has increased from 3000 tonnes in the first season to 14 000 tonnes in the 1973-4 year, and, with an increasing lucerne contract area and plant expansion, production is planned to increase to 30 000 tonnes.
