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(AP) -- COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Prolonged drought is prompting some Midwest farmers to sell discarded corn stalks to feed hay-deprived cattle.

The Columbia Missourian reports that area corn farmers are collecting stalks that usually are left in fields. The leftover stalks are known as corn stover.

A market summary compiled by the Missouri Department of Agriculture shows that corn stover is selling in Missouri for $60 to $100 per ton, or $35 to $45 per large round bale. The state agency didn't track corn stover sales prices until this year, and nor does the National Agricultural Statistics Service, whose director says corn stover isn't typically considered a farm commodity.

The Missourian reports that farmers' interest in harvesting corn stalks is prompting agricultural equipment manufacturers to build round balers specifically designed to handle corn stalks.

(Information in the following story is from: Columbia Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com)

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