SCA says drought conditions could result in herd reductions

Dry conditions are growing in parts of Saskatchewan with some livestock producers starting to raise concerns about feed supplies.

Keith Day, chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association (SCA) says the persistent drought conditions are leading to feed shortages in some parts of the province that have existed for years. 

"For some producers, this is their fifth or sixth year of drought and there are producers that are going to need help. If there are farmers that are thinking you know what if this weather lasts for another three weeks, these crops aren't going to be too valuable. Maybe they would consider a cattle operator or cow guy when they make their decisions on what to do with their crops."

He says if producers can’t access feed for their animals, it may not be long before we see a herd reduction that could take years to rebuild.

Statistics show that since July 2021, Saskatchewan has seen its cattle numbers drop by nearly 20%. 

The SCA points out that coupled with high sale prices, the risk of a further decrease to livestock population means that it could force prices for consumers at the grocery store even higher due to sustained demand.

They note that in 2021, the Saskatchewan Government announced changes to the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation’s (SCIC) low yield thresholds. 

"These changes were made to make more crops available to be used as feed for livestock. These types of pragmatic changes to programs like crop insurance will likely be needed for some producers to weather challenging drought conditions."

The move proved beneficial for livestock producers who had another source of feed and for crop producers who had a market for a poor crop.

Day notes if you have extra feed or a crop that could be turned into feed you're asked to reach out to livestock producers or neighbors that may be looking for feed or contact the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association or Saskatchewan Stock Grower's Association.

Overall, the livestock industry plays an important role for the province contributing nearly 14% of the total farm cash receipts coming in at $2.986 billion in 2022

Saskatchewan has the second-largest beef cattle herd in Canada, exporting $229 million worth of live cattle in 2022. 

To hear Glenda-Lee's conversation with SCA chair Keith Day click on the link below.