drought

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Carlos: It is very dry in central Alberta. About a half a dozen counties have been declared disaster areas. The pastures are just about done and the hayfields are so poor I doubt it is worth cutting them. Cereal crops are really poor, probably the majority would be in that 5-6 inchs tall range(late seeded much worse). Canola crops are pretty much a disaster with a good portion of each field never germinating.
I suspect a large portion of the cowherd will cease to exist this fall. I would roughly guess about half the cows in the drought area will go to town...no matter how low the price!
For the last eight years cow/calf has been marginal at best and most people neither have the money or desire to hang on anymore. The government, our competition in the USA, and the big packers have just beaten us into the ground.
 
We finally got an inch and a half today. Been two months since it rained last. Everything is burt up and dry. Only 35 inches behind in rainfall over the past 18 months. Guess this makes up for the times we were 25 inches over average. We should be ok if will turn off wet late summer and fall. Already to late for the dryland farms and wouldn't be good for the irrigated farms, but hey, I think it is their turn on the bottom of the pile. ;-)
 
1982vett":dm3dzn1k said:
We finally got an inch and a half today. Been two months since it rained last. Everything is burt up and dry. Only 35 inches behind in rainfall over the past 18 months. Guess this makes up for the times we were 25 inches over average. We should be ok if will turn off wet late summer and fall. Already to late for the dryland farms and wouldn't be good for the irrigated farms, but hey, I think it is their turn on the bottom of the pile. ;-)

I was hoping you got some rain. It's been cloudy here all day and not squat falling from the sky. We need it bad. It isnt' that we've been without rain, it rained here last on June 11th. But it was followed by hot dry winds that just took away the benefit of it. It is crispy underfoot. I'm haying now.
 
The problem with a drought in our area and why it is so dire and such a state of emergency is because we only have a 3-4 month growing season at best before we are in the deep freeze again and covered in snow.

Carlos east of the QE 2 has been declared a disaster area in central Alberta. We normally would be haying this week but our hay field is only about 4 inches tall right now. I am just praying for rain, I do not care if we get our first cut in the end of August and it is only 9 percent protein my cows will do just fine on it during the winter. I am not one of the farmers that will be paying $150.00 for a bale of hay that is not an option .

AB farmer it is not the low price of the cattle to worry about it is that you will be allowed to ship any cattle auction marts are already turning cattle away.

Saying we are desperate at this juncture is an understatement.

BTW, Vette I am happy you finally got some rain. Rain is in the forecast for us as well, we'll see.. :roll:
 
Same here is Louisiana. We got 3/4" yesterday. About time, everything is brown here...
 
hillsdown: I suspect you might be right about a shortage of kill space. I doubt any of our "masters" in Edmonton or Ottawa have given it much thought...probably too busy partying it up on the summer BBQ circuit?
I suspect if the price gets low enough this fall the government might be able to reinstate the old cull cow BSE test money and we can have a big mass shooting of cows? Don't know how they would deal with the optics on that kind of deal though...might have to pretend it is a disease issue or something?
Was talking to a guy who sells hay and he says he has already had people contacting him about buying hay(mostly horse people). He said he is asking $160/ rd bale(1600 lb.) and is getting a favorful response! He figures his output will be about 1/3 of normal so is fairly happy with that price. I guess using his figures it is going to cost about $600/cow for feed this winter? Might be cheaper to shoot her, especially if the government kicked in a couple of hundred?
I also was talking to a young fellow who started up a fabrication shop four years ago...mostly for oil field equipment. Last year he had six welders and a secretary/bookeeper and couldn't keep up. This year he is the only one left and he has nothing to do! He says his lease on the building comes due on Oct. 1st and he will be shutting down. It is pretty tough in the oil patch right now.
I wonder if we do see a real drop in agricultural output if it might wake up a few people? Maybe when food prices go through the roof your average city slicker might finally get the message that things just aren't working out all that great down on the farm? Or will they think "Those greedy farmers" and call on the government to increase imports from South America?
 
Alberta farmer":20f51p7s said:
Or will they think "Those greedy farmers" and call on the government to increase imports from South America?
When a vote can be bought, one can't let food get in the away.
 

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