Farms.com Home   News

Drought Requires Immediate Action

Drought Requires Immediate Action
Farmers and ranchers in the Southern Great Plains are in a drought with conditions worsening since November.
 
While the drought affects many of the contiguous states, the states experiencing the worst conditions are Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Kansas. According to the current United States Drought Monitor, the entire state of Oklahoma is in at least a severe drought; more than 80 percent of the state is considered either in a severe or extreme drought. South of the Red River, 90 percent of Texas is in some level of drought, from abnormally dry to extreme drought.
 
“Producers need to have contingency plans in place now to help decision-making easier as we move through the spring,” says Hugh Aljoe, director of producer relations with the Noble Research Institute. “Even with rain in the short-term forecast, we are expecting the conditions to worsen through the spring.”
 
Noble agricultural consultants advise producers to immediately assess water and forage sources. Farmers and ranchers should match expected forage production and water quantity with animal demand, which may lead to destocking of cattle herds.
 
As drought conditions continue, farmers and ranchers should consider taking immediate steps, such as buying hay while it is still available and culling cows, to help mitigate further impacts to their operations. Historically, cattle prices decline and supplemental feed costs increase the longer a drought persists.
Click here to see more...

Trending Video

SaskAgToday.com Roundtable: Seeding underway, PCE establishing a facility in Weyburn

Video: SaskAgToday.com Roundtable: Seeding underway, PCE establishing a facility in Weyburn

The SaskAgToday.com Roundtable takes a look at seeding progress in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as it got well underway this past week. Elsewhere, Prairie Clean Enterprises announced it will be setting up a flax straw processing facility in Weyburn; a look at grain and livestock prices; and an early look at who could be named Federal Agriculture Minister when Prime Minister Mark Carney announces his Cabinet ahead of Parliament resuming May 26.