Alberta ranchers worry over drought effects

Ranchers in Canadian province Alberta are concerned that one of the driest falls in years will affect feed availability.

The ranchers have taken their case to Alberta's agriculture minister to get the province to sign onto a new recovery programme with the federal government, which could help them tide through the spring. 

With winter feed supplies running out, producers fear their pasture and hay land will not support livestock once the snow melts, said Fred Hays, policy analyst at Alberta Beef Producers.

Last summer and autumn had very low moisture, and the cold summer had delayed pasture and forage growth. The shortage of feed for the winter has put heavy pressure on producers, especially cow and calf operations, said Hays, estimating that 80% of cow-calf operations have been hit hard by the drought.

The shortage of hay has doubled the price so producers have struggled to buy extra feed, he said. Many also overgrazed pastures last autumn, so they will not come back strongly enough this spring.

Most producers will have to supplement their feed this spring, which puts extra financial pressure on them, Hays said.

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development soil moisture specialist Ralph Wright said extremely low moisture, typically seen once in 12-to-25 years on average, is hitting large areas of Alberta.

Adding to the problem are the hard choices livestock producers have been forced to make, such as overgrazing and under fertilising amid high feed and fertiliser prices, and low returns in a struggling industry, according to provincial forage and grazing specialist Grant Lastiwka.

Most producers are tight on feed suppliers and very few have enough to carry them through an extra month of feeding this spring, he said.