How Drought Conditions Are Affecting Missouri Grape, Livestock Farmers

As drought conditions continue to worsen across the state, not only are livestock producers being affected but so is the future of Missouri wine.

During a Joint Committee Hearing on agriculture Tuesday, stakeholders said farmers in the Show-Me State are having to make tough decisions because of this early dry spell, and it could cost them a pretty penny. From an early frost last fall, to below freezing temperatures at Christmas, a late frost this spring and now a drought, the state is expecting a major reduction in Missouri’s grape crop.

“April, May and June parts of our state were probably the driest it’s been since 1988,” deputy director for the Missouri Department of Agriculture Chris Klenklen said.

Nearly all of Missouri is currently experiencing a drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, central and northeast Missouri are experiencing an extreme drought while other parts of the state are seeing a severe or moderate drought. Gov. Mike Parson declared a drought alert at the end of May, activating the Drought Assessment Committee, made up of state and federal agencies.

“It’s a lot tougher than any one of us would have expected six months ago,” interim director of Mizzou’s Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center Scott Brown told committee members. “I think cattle are the ones taking the brunt of the weather events here in the short run. Even if we get a lot of rain from this point forward, it’s probably fall before we start talking about pasture growth to be helpful.”

These dry conditions leaving little to no grass in some areas for livestock and is starting to dry up ponds, is why farmers are sending their cattle to market early.



Source: fox2now.com

Photo Credit: istock-jimfeng