A 2-year-old experiment in the commercial production of hay has resulted in significant income for farmers in the  Bagaces areas. They are growing a high-protein mix of two tropical grasses.

More than 140,000 17-kilo (37-pound) bales have been shipped in two years resulting in an income of 800 million colons, about $1.6 million, said a summary from the Ministerio de la Producción, the former agriculture ministry. The hay is being marketed through the  Asociación de Productores Agroindustriales de Bagaces under the trade name of Nutriheno. Heno in Spanish means hay.

Some 25 farmers in the areas of La Soga, Falconiana, Tamarindo and Bagatsí have allocated 100 hectares (about 247 acres) and are netting about 400,000 colons per hectare, about $775, said the ministry. The program was promoted as an option for farmers of the region.

The hay is a combination of pinto peanut or  maní forrajero (Arachis pintoi ) and pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens), called trasvala here. The maní forrajero is a perennial herb and pangola grass stays green though wet and dry seasons.

Both crops are highly digestible by cattle and have been used for years elsewhere in the tropics. They can even be found in the subtropical United States.