B.C., partners work to get hay to farmers

Jul 26, 2023

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working with partners to support B.C. farmers and ranchers who are facing challenges due to the current shortage of hay and feed across Western Canada.

“We are in daily communication with producers impacted by drought, and the main issue we are hearing right now is that some are already having to use their fall and winter feed,” said Pam Alexis, Minister of Agriculture and Food. “We are listening to what farmers and ranchers need most, and in collaboration with BC Cattlemen’s and other partners, we are taking action to help producers on the ground find all available sources of hay for their animals.”

To help farmers and producers get hay and feed, the ministry is funding a new Access to Feed program that will be delivered in partnership with the BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA). Through this program, the BCCA will match sellers of hay and feed domestically across Canada and internationally with farmers and producers.

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Video: EP 65 Grazing Through Drought

Welcome to the conclusion of the Getting Through Drought series, where we look at the best management practices cow-calf producers in Alberta can use to build up their resiliency against drought.

Our hope is that the series can help with the mental health issues the agriculture sector is grappling with right now. Farming and ranching are stressful businesses, but that’s brought to a whole new level when drought hits. By equipping cow-calf producers with information and words of advice from colleagues and peers in the sector on the best ways to get through a drought, things might not be as stressful in the next drought. Things might not look so bleak either.

In this final episode of the series, we are talking to Ralph Thrall of McIntyre Ranch who shares with us his experience managing grass and cows in a pretty dry part of the province.