fbpx

The annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is underway in Moose Jaw. You wouldn’t know it by conditions around Moose Jaw, but moisture has become a big concern for the cattle industry. Here in the Moose Jaw region, like everywhere else, hay and pasture growth has been slow due to the cold spring. However, everything here has greened up nicely with the recent heat because moisture conditions are good. Just north of Moose Jaw, producers are going around wet spots in fields as they finish up seeding operations. Conditions are far different on the western side of Saskatchewan and into Alberta. For a change, the deep southwest corner of the province isn’t the hardest hit. The driest conditions are in the west central region. There are already reports of producers culling their cow herds because they won’t have enough feed. Last year’s provincial hay crop was not large and it was a long, cold winter. The carryover of hay is low. Now, a large chunk of the province is facing poor pastures and a hay crop failure. Hay prices are likely to rise and the cost of moving hay into the dry regions will be onerous. I’m Kevin Hursh.

 www.hursh.ca

Kevin Hursh, PAg, CAC