Farms.com Home   News

Cattle Producers Dealing With Desperate Situation

Dry conditions continue to create challenges for many cattle producers.

Allan Munroe is owner of Killarney Auction Mart.

"We're getting these little shots of rain that green things up and give us a little bit of optimism but the crops are slow emerging, the pastures are very slow, there's a lot of guys still feeding their cows, not wanting to throw them out on the pasture and damage what is there. The rule always was 'a day in the spring can give you a week in the fall' as far as grazing. Guys are being very cautious but it's just very, very slow coming and we're seeing a lot of action at the market this June that we normally wouldn't."

He notes it's a little bit of survival mode right now, because the feed is not out there.

"You can't just go buy a load of round bales right now. The grass isn't growing. There's a lot of these guys that have been through this before, with talk of 1988 and going back to 1959. You talk to some of the older fellows and it's just a matter of making sure you don't run out and moving some cattle and making those tough choices and those deep cuts early and a head of time so you don't end up completely against the wall with no feed for your animals at all."

Munroe says they plan to put a sale on June 28th because of the high number of cattle booked for the 14th.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

$5 Corn, $12 Soybeans, $7 Wheat & $750 Canola! Is the Top In/Party Over?

Video: $5 Corn, $12 Soybeans, $7 Wheat & $750 Canola! Is the Top In/Party Over?


$5 corn, $12 soybeans, $7 wheat & $750 canola! Is the top in and the party over with lower crude oil and an end to the Iran war?
The 2026 USDA May report could see ending stocks fall further due to red-hot U.S. corn exports, lower HRW production and lower Brazil corn production?
OK HRW wheat tour sees crop down 50% + Kansas Quality Council Wheat tour next week.
Headline news that U.S. could import Brazilian beef weighed on cattle futures.
Headline news of pseudorabies disease found in hogs in Iowa and #1 buyer Mexico may restrict exports weighed on hog futures.
Stocks are on fire.
5 senators are in China planning ahead of the Trump/Xi meeting on May 14/15. CFTC.