GREENBRIER, Ark. — The lack of rain lately has been especially tough on the cattle industry. Most of the state is seeing a second drought following hot and dry conditions this Summer.
Central Arkansas is under “severe” drought conditions with “extreme drought conditions for parts of west central and Northwest Arkansas as of Wednesday night. New drought stats will be released Thursday, and they are expected to worsen for at least the next couple of weeks.
Michael Dickey, a rancher in Greenbrier, said he’s learned how to conserve through the droughts of the past.
“A lot of people, they’ve had to quit farming because of droughts in the past,” Dickey admitted.
Michael Dickey’s family has been farming cows since the 1950’s and since that time, he’s learned every year is different.
In 2022, a lack of rain has stunted grass growth causing many ranchers to sell more of their cows they can’t afford to feed. The practice is also known as culling the herd.
As Dickey explained, “Grass is your cheapest resource. Hay and grain are so expensive, and it is hard to raise cows and stay in the business if you are grain feeding and hay feeding all of the time.”
According to the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association it is the worst drought in 10 years.
“It’s getting to be a pretty desperate situation,” stated Cody Burkham, Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association.
Burkham said he’s getting calls from multiple people a day asking where they can buy hay.
“They really don’t know what they are going to do at this point to figure out because there really is no hay out there bought,” Burkham stated adding this is partly due to droughts being spread regionwide in Oklahoma and Texas as well.
Some farmers also are adding to their expenses just to make sure their cattle can drink water.
“I talked to one producer just this morning up in Franklin County. He’s got three ponds that are dried up, and two more that will dry up in just a couple few days,” said Burkham.
On Dickey’s farm, he uses rotational grazing to stretch what grass he has. This keeps the grass from getting too short, which can keep the dirt beneath from drying out. The result is growing more grass throughout the year and the following year.
Michael Dickey said 2012’s drought was difficult for him, and it taught him a lot. “You try to always be one step ahead of the weather,” Dickey mentioned.
As our station reported in July, the selloff of cows by many farmers who can’t feed them is going to have consequences years from now. Increased herds culling will result in smaller herds, fewer calves being born, and then less beef supply and potentially higher prices in the future.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA) is asking for help from those who would be willing to take a few minutes to complete a survey concerning the drought conditions they are facing. The survey is very personalized, allows for free text, and you can upload pictures. To fill out the survey, click here.
The ADA reminds livestock and hay producers impacted by drought should contact their USDA Farm Service Agency office to determine their eligibility for several livestock assistance programs, including the Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish; and emergency loans.
If any portion of a county has been declared by the U.S. Drought Monitor as D3 during the normal grazing period, producers in the entire county become eligible for FSA assistance.
Areas designated as D2 drought level for at least eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period also become eligible for assistance.
For more information contact your local FSA offices. To find your local office, visit The United States Department of Agriculture’s Service Center Locator. To read more about the disaster assistance programs, visit FSA.USDA.gov.
As drought continues to expand and intensify across the United States, farmers need to understand what crop insurance can and can’t do which will be the topic of the Oct. 19 webinar from The National Agricultural Law Center.
Drought and Crop Insurance: Common Issues Faced by Producers,” will be presented by Grant Ballard, partner at Ark Ag Law PLLC.
Register for the webinar at NationalAGLawCenter.org.
