|
|
Drought forces some in Mississippi to sell off herds
MENDENHALL, Miss. (AP)--Todd Sullivan's family is feeling the wrath of the dry weather, a drought that has forced his family to start selling off cows and watch profits plummet at their cattle farm just outside Mendenhall. Like many of about 21,000 other livestock producers in Mississippi, the Sullivans are struggling with a limited forage supply and are left with the choice of buying costly feed or selling some of their herds. Those problems have been compounded by the rising prices of fertilizer and fuel. The family raises commercial cattle on about 600 acres in Simpson and Covington counties, in addition to running embryo transfer and artificial insemination programs. They normally have about 120 cattle, and now are down to around 40. "And we'll be selling even more of those," Sullivan said. He estimates the family has taken a 50 percent hit on profits. Crops from corn to hay are facing similar problems because of limited rainfall. Areas of Mississippi are well below normal. The National Weather Service says Mississippi's rainfall is about 18 inches below normal for the year. Hattiesburg has an 11-inch deficit year-to-date, while Carthage is nearly 17 inches below normal rainfall. A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed crop conditions for 39 percent of the corn crop at poor or worse, while 45 percent of the hay crop fell in the lower ratings. Among the state's agriculture commodities, cattle consistently rank sixth, coming in after poultry and timber. But beef production is a significant part of the state's agriculture, with the total value of production of cattle in Mississippi exceeding $216 million in 2006, according to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. A national drought monitor compiled by the Department of Agriculture and others shows Mississippi as one of only a few states this year to be partially hit with a level 4 drought--the worst kind. Last year, farmers saw an extremely dry summer and a long winter feeding season, said Sammy Blossom, executive vice president of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association. There was little in the way of hay to carry over as farmers came out of winter, and they're now suffering through another dry season that is further limiting forage. In some cases, cows are being sold to ease the feeding burden. "We've had a lot of our producers that have called just in the last two weeks that are just having distressed sales," he said. "They're not well fed; they're not productive. They're just having to get rid of some in order to keep some well fed." In the long term, productivity could be reduced with lower conception rates and lighter calves, he said. Houston Therrell, a Rankin County Extension Service director, said the Extension Service has tried to help by looking for alternate sources to hay. But can livestock producers recover? "I've got a saying: You can get used to anything but a rock in your shoe," Therrell said. "They, over time, could recover, but if they don't have enough forage stored from summer production, they might sell the whole herd. It might be 10 or it might be 200 cattle. And it would take years to get back in the business to be at the same stage of development that they are now." Hay is going for about $35 a ton now, but that price does not include transportation costs, Blossom said. That's $5 to $10 higher than normal. If the dry weather doesn't ease up, that could reach $75 during the winter or even $100 for premium hay. "A lot of producers are having to make hard choices," said Jane Parish, an Extension beef cattle specialist. Adapting to the drought could require absorbing increased costs and making management changes. Better management of pastures and hay, such as using proper fertilization and effective rotational grazing, helps minimize costs. Farmers also can benefit from some low-cost alternatives to hay such as cotton seed. But selling off all but a core herd with the hopes of rebuilding later may be strenuous for the many cattle producers in the state who are beyond traditional retirement age. The economic fallout for cattle farmers is probably best seen in the rising costs of keeping a herd. If the annual cost of keeping a cow, for example, runs from around $300 to $600, a continued drought could bump that up by $100 to $200, Parish said. An average size herd in the state is 25 cows, although there are larger farms which could feel the brunt of cost hikes. It's difficult to say whether the drought will have any dramatic effect on beef prices because the cattle produced here is not necessarily consumed here, and while there may be a drought in Mississippi, other cattle-producing states could be flush with rain, Parish said. Cattle prices go in cycles, but the market is considered healthy now. A long-term drought, however, would ultimately affect beef prices, she said. As for forecasts, National Weather Service maps produced by the Climate Prediction Center show the state could see normal rainfall for the months of July, August and September. Normal rainfall, however, may not be enough to make up for the bout of dry weather. Tommy Rhodes, who has cattle and chickens on his Rankin County farm, is assessing whether he'll have enough forage to get him through. If it doesn't rain soon, he'll have to dip into his winter supply--or start selling. "It's the worst I've ever seen," he said. For the Sullivans, the cost to maintain a grown cow, including money to cover planting grass and administering vaccinations, has doubled to about $600 this year. And changing feed on cows can be problematic. "Cows are stressed during times like this just like humans are with the drought," Sullivan said. "It's harder on their body when you have to change forage back and forth. They'll have a runny nose and sneeze and that sort of thing." In a normal year, the family would cut 50 to 70 bales of hay off grass in the spring, but got nothing this year. "You just have to be careful. You've got to meet their nutritional requirements, and you can't have sudden shifts in the diet," Parish said. Date: 7/5/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
