The exceptional drought conditions are leaving ranchers concerned they won’t have enough hay to feed their livestock, said Smith.
“I should be getting 3,000 bales a year, and I’m probably going to hit 500 [bales this year]. Last year, there were about 1,000. This is about as severe as it’s gonna get for us.”
Smith said the dry conditions are being compounded by throngs of grasshoppers that are devouring any new plant growth in the area.
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“Now, we have these grasshoppers, and they’re just flying right now, and they are like a combine going across the field. They’re just sucking up any quality (hay) that we have.”
This assessment map shows that most of the agricultural land in the M.D. of Greenview is rated as “poor” due to persistent drought conditions. (M.D. of Greenview)
Tyler Olsen, the reeve for the M.D. of Greenview, said he is very concerned that the local drought conditions will result in a serious lack of feed for the region’s cattle herds through the fall and winter. As a result, he said these conditions could force ranchers to preemptively liquidate their herds.