Extreme drought makes cattle farmers thin herds, could cause future supply problems

Experts say an uptick in drought and different excessive climate occasions has beef farmers within the U.S. and Canada thinning their herds in near-record numbers, which might result in provide issues within the beef trade over the long run.

They say that farmers will more and more battle with profitability amid the unpredictable seasons as local weather change makes drought, flooding and wildfires extra widespread.

Desmond Sobool, principal economist with Farm Credit Canada, says that for the previous few years, dry circumstances and droughts in each nations have prompted farmers to cut back their herd sizes by sending extra cattle to slaughter, which has resulted in elevated manufacturing of beef merchandise.

Sobool says whereas this may usually drive cattle costs down, inflation and excessive demand imply costs are remaining elevated — and if there’s much less provide sooner or later, that may drive costs up additional, which might have an effect on shopper costs as effectively.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit Canada, greater than two-thirds of the U.S. cattle herd is in an space affected by drought, resulting in the biggest contraction of the North American cattle herd in a decade.

Environment Canada says local weather change has elevated the probability of some sorts of excessive climate throughout the nation, together with wildfires and flooding, whereas drought soil moisture deficits within the Prairies and British Columbia are anticipated to grow to be extra frequent and intense as time progresses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 20, 2023.