Drought: deep concern for western Canada ranchers, farmers

Cattle, ranching, and the cowboy lifestyle are a large part of the traditions in Canada’s western prairie province of Alberta. The province is the world’s sixth largest exporter of beef. But a long and withering drought is causing great concern to ranchers in the province. After a harsh winter and a long, cool and damp spring forced many ranchers to use up reserves of feed hay, they then faced a summer of hot dry weather in many areas of the province, drying up pastures. In the southern portion of the province reports are that 60 per cent of the pastures are in only fair to poor condition..Similar conditions have been felt in large portions of southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This has not only hit pastures but alos farmers growing hay crops expected to be down by about 25 per cent even as ranchers are seeking feed for their herds already As a result feed hay costs have doubled from las year to $200/tonne, while feed barley is up 30 per cent in price...MORE