The president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan called on Ottawa Wednesday to compensate farmers and ranchers for the preservation of pastures and grasslands.
Saskatchewan’s cattle population has been on the decline for the last two years, shrinking by 90, 000 head due to drought, poor profit margins, and the conversion of pastureland to crop land.
More trouble could rise upon the industry as the province sees a slower melt to the snow than usual.
“It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before,” said Agriculture Producers of Saskatchewan vice president and farmer Bill Pyrbylski. “Farmers are resilient and quite inventive in the things they come up with to accommodate the later spring.
“It is a little early yet to be panicking, but it is looking like it is going to be a later spring which will put a little bit more pressure on the grain side of the operation. There is a very narrow window to get our crops seeded and as it gets later in the spring, we know historically, yield decreases.”
If the season gets pushed back too late, the crops could experience frost damage as a result of a late harvest.
In terms of livestock, Prybylski said farmers are having to feed their animals a little bit later into the spring.
“At this time of year, cattle would be out foraging for some of the feed. It puts a little bit of pressure on feed stocks and increases the cost of production for a lot of livestock producers.”
As the season gets later, farmers might be opting to plant shorter season crops such as oats or barley as opposed to crops with a longer growth cycle like canola.
“Livestock producers might have to look at some alternative feeding solutions to get us to where the grass is going to be available to those cattle for grazing.”
Calving season has also begun for Saskatchewan farmers, which is no easy feat with the colder temperatures.
“The babies are coming out in snowbanks and the challenge is 24 hours a day,” said APAS livestock committee member Kevin Gilbert. “You’re awake trying to save the baby calves and keep your operation going.
“There’s less babies alive so that decreases, you know, in the end, what beef is available, we’re talking a year or two down the road.”
Gilbert added that because the weather can’t be controlled, it’s just a matter of putting in the extra work to make it through the season.
“You can’t order your weather so I don’t think (an ideal season) would ever happen.
“I hope people are patient and understand with cattle producers, sheep producers, all livestock producers at this time of year. They are doing the best they can. Their livestock are their livelihood.”
Comments