BC Cattlemen’s Association working on establishing support programs during drought

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The BC Cattlemen’s Association is working on establishing multiple support programs with government agencies for ranchers impacted by wildfires and drought conditions in the province.

The drought conditions are causing issues mainly with cattle feed, which has ramifications for food security across the province.

One of the first steps the association has taken is creating a survey — available on its website and Facebook page — to gain feedback from ranchers on what the situation is like for them regarding moisture, feed and plans.

“We’re trying to establish what we have to work with for those ranchers so they can make decisions for their own operation,” Kevin Boon, general manager at the BC Cattlemen’s Association, explained.

He said the Peace, Bulkley-Nechako, and Cariboo districts are the “epicentre” of cattle herds, as well as the primary source of feed during the winter months.

Boon said the drought is a province-wide issue, but the Peace region doesn’t have a lot of irrigation, making watering the crop and getting water for cattle a more significant problem.

“We may see towards the end of the season, where guys are going to have to start and use groundwater instead of surface water, where dugouts dry up,” Boon said.

“I’m more concerned in that area of the water developing blue-green algae, and if that gets in the water, it’s poisonous to animals.”

Boon said the biggest concern with water is ensuring the quality and volume are available.

“If we have to pull it out of the ground, that can be accommodated… The shortage of feed is going to be the deciding factor on cattle going to market or not,” Boon said. 

So far, the association has discovered that farmers are only getting 20 to 30 per cent of what they would typically yield for production.

“Instead of getting ten bales an acre, they’re getting three,” Boon explained.

Another issue the association pinpointed was that summer grazing would run out way before it usually would.

“When you put that together, then you gotta say, ‘What are our options? Where else can we get feed?’” Boon said. “That’s where we’re running into some issues too: Alberta’s dry, Saskatchewan’s dry, Manitoba’s dry.”

Boon said the association has been working with multiple government levels to develop some programs to directly address the problem instead of “throwing money at it.”

“We can’t just say, here’s some money, fix your own problem because if there’s no feed out there to buy, it’s not going to do any good.”

He said an individual had been hired to source hay, not to buy, but to find where it is available, how much is available and the price.

“If the ranchers know we’re working on it and know what we’re working on, they have the ability to weigh the odds and look at their own situation.”

The association is also working on an “agri-recovery” program through provincial and federal governments.

“It’s basically designed for, in a disaster such as this, to give some financial assistance to give the people the opportunity to recover from what the situation was,” Boon explained.

“It’s mainly a feed program. If they have to sell cows, there’s a program in there to be able to assist them to buy cows back.”

The association is also working to find other available pastures for those who need them.