Drought The Big Story For Beef Producers In 2021

Jan 03, 2022

The drought had a major impact on beef producers in 2021.

Carson Callum is general manager of Manitoba Beef Producers.

"This past year, everyone's aware of how challenging the drought was and the impact to the beef sector was pretty dire, especially in the middle of the summer when the drought was at its peak. A lot of producers had to downsize their operations due to no feed options at all and it was so widespread it was tough to get feed in. People might have thought it was a geographical area but with it being from Northwest Ontario all the way to BC, it was hard to get feed at that point. A lot of folks had to just make that difficult, responsible decision."

Callum noted late season rains helped restore pastures across the province.

"Luckily, in the later summer months and into the fall, we did get some moisture which allowed for some pretty impressive regrowth on some of the damaged fields or even some of the hay fields. Producers were able to have some extended grazing. That did help in some way but we're not out of this drought yet, until we get some significant snowfall or moisture over the winter here to fill up some of the dugouts that are pretty low and we'll have to look forward into next year to see where we're sitting in the spring. Looking back, the drought was a pretty huge impact."

Callum says the group has a number of key priorities for 2022.

"Our focus is probably going to have a bit of drought in mind because if we don't get any real snow or moisture, we might be in a real difficult position again, especially from a water availability standpoint, going into the spring. Hopefully, that does come, but we'll be trying to focus on what can be done if we don't get that moisture that is really needed...From a public policy perspective, climate change is a major area of focus and beef plays a really important role in that and we can really be a champion in maintaining a lot of these important environmental habitats. I think that will be an important focus to ensure that producers are recognized for that, from a public standpoint and from a financial standpoint to support them in maintaining these important grassland habitats."

Click here to see more...

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.