Page 7 - MWC 09-9-2021s
P. 7
The Midwest Cattleman · September 9, 2021 · P7
THE IMPACTS OF DROUGHT ON BEEF AND BEYOND
By Katie James
The nation is experiencing they’ve seen it, and not many 5 0 0 - t o - 7 0 0
historic drought that covers of them went through the cow calf pairs
nearly all of the West and 1930’s but this is as bad as by every sale
most of the Northern Plains, they’ve seen it since then. that we had
and one estimate shows that “Our last decent rains for them. And
32% of all cattle in the U.S. came in September of 2019. then we went
are under drought level con- We had 11 inches of rain, two days a
ditions. This drought has which is very rare in North week, through
caused severe disruption Dakota to get fall rains of the month of
for ranchers and will have a that amount. I think that's May and into
lasting impact on America’s what got us through last June and now
cattle industry, says Drovers year. There was quite a lot back to one Photo - FJ
editorial director, Greg Hen- of subsoil moisture, so a lot day a week
derson. During Farm Journal of ranchers got pretty close since then. Normally this are moving right now. Next
Field Days he sat down with to having a hay crop as com- time of year, we would be week, we'll probably have
a panel of experts to dis- pared to normal. This year, going every other week and 1,000 new crop calves, which
cuss the current state of the it's all gone,” he says. “Hay- hope to get 200 or 300 head is unheard of, in this part of
drought, including: ing that is going on, a lot of of cattle. We're probably av- the country this time of year.
•Jason Johnson, Oregon people are not even cutting eraging close to 1,000,” he Johnson, who’s located in
Feedlot Operator it. But if they are cutting it notes. “Every other sale will Oregon notes that his part of
•John Nalivka, Sterling at all, they're talking about get 1,500 or 2,000 head. But the country is in trouble as
Marketing one bale per acre, some were we're selling many, many well.
•Larry Schnell, Stock- talking about acres per bale.” more cows than normal. And “If we don’t receive signifi-
man’s Livestock Exchange, It’s also caused more sales the only reason we aren't cant moisture this winter, we
Dickinson, North Dakota of cow-calf pairs, much earli- even selling more is because will be in real trouble. Many
•Niels Hansen, Rancher er than usual. Schnell notes these ranchers are trying to of the smaller operators are
and Public Lands Council. that they started selling hold on until the calves get suffering with the rising cost
The situation is so dire, higher numbers of cattle in big enough to where they of commodities such as grain
Schnell says, that in North March, and then in May the can either wean them or sell and hay. We just see a total
Dakota ranchers have been pairs started to come in. them. But even there, they're
telling him it’s the worst “We're selling at least even some of those that continued on page 12
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