Cattle feed in crisis
AUSTRALIA could be importing food for cattle within weeks, as the crisis in the country's rural sector worsens, breaking more and more farmers' hearts.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said yesterday the "real problem" facing beef and dairy farmers across the country was the unprecedented lack of stock feed.
Unless there is substantial rainfall this weekend and over the next couple of weeks, Australia will have to look to our neighbours for help.
"The twin problems here with the fodder is it's increasingly scarce and at this rate will be totally unavailable, and secondly it's expensive – beyond the reach of most of livestock producers," Mr McGauran said.
It's getting really tough for the farmers and ranchers in Australia. Working the land is always tough but when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate it is heart breaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to these people. I would send them some rain if I could but I never know if I will have enough and it's not possible anyway.
I think we are bound to, and by, nature. We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there's a snowstorm or drought, we know our fate is tied to the world around us. Alice Hoffman
Cattle Feeding Continues To Shift North
USDA's April 20 Cattle-On-Feed Report indicates northern feedlots again appear to be feeding more cattle relative to last year and relative to the south, writes Dillon Feuz, Utah State University economist, at <http://ct.pbinews.com/rd/cts?d=244-11115-8-279-42315-565778-0-0-0-1>www.lmic.info/. South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska on-feed totals were up 10%, 6% and 3%, respectively. Meanwhile, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma on-feed totals were down 5%, 4% and 3%, respectively, lending more credence to reports that cattle feeding is gravitating toward ethanol-production areas.
The latest report also showed surprisingly lower than expected marketings for the month of March. The report cited marketings of 1.85 million head, 6% lower than last year and 2% lower than expected.
Reported placements were on the mark of expectations at 1.97 million head, 7% more than a year ago, and putting the total number of cattle on feed for April 1 to 11.64 million head -- 1% below the prior year and 1% more than the trade had anticipated.
- <http://ct.pbinews.com/rd/cts?d=244-11115-8-279-42315-565778-0-0-0-1>www.lmic.info/