Cattlemen see provincial funding as a start, but more needed

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association wants to do all it can to make sure ranching in the province doesn’t dry up due to the drought being experienced in Saskatchewan.

A lack of moisture in some areas of the province has left ranchers in a bind, with some even considering getting out of the cattle business.

Grant McLellan, the association’s CEO, said Statistics Canada data show the industry shrunk by five to 10 per cent over the past two years. However, McLellan noted that livestock marketing groups have suggested the potential contraction could reach 35 per cent in very short order.

“There is kind of a perfect storm of government regulations challenging the industry and good prices for people to have the opportunity to get out and move in that direction,” McLellan said.

“With this prolonged drought and a lack of access to feed, we’re going to see a significant number of animals going to market.”

The ongoing dry conditions have decimated feed supplies in the province, especially in the southwest and west-central regions. McLellan noted there is feed in other parts of Saskatchewan, but moving it to areas where it’s needed – or moving animals to where the feed is – is an extremely expensive proposition.

The issue, McLellan said, is both immediate and long term. Some producers don’t believe they’ll have enough feed for the winter.

“There’s certainly producers who don’t have feed right now and there have been sales and feed being moved across the province,” he said. “If you go out on the highway, probably any day, you’re going to see bales moving east to west.

“There’s a shortage of feed right now. Then, of course, as producers make their decision as to how they’re going to move forward, the winter feeding is a huge concern.”

In July, it was announced that the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation would implement some measures to allow for low-yielding cereal and pulse crops to be converted into feed for livestock.

The provincial government stepped up again Monday, announcing $70 million in support for producers dealing with the drought.

The funding will provide up to $80 per head to eligible producers in order to maintain breeding stocks of cattle, bison, horses, elk, deer, sheep and goats,

McLellan said that funding is “a good start,” but it’s not enough. The hope is that the federal government will add another $120 per head, just as it did in 2021 when producers also were seeking relief from drought conditions.

“Certainly that ($200) is going to be insufficient to meet the demands of many producers,” McLellan admitted. “But help is help, and certainly people will appreciate that. But that’s why our organization will be looking for additional support moving forward.”

Earlier this summer, McLellan’s association sent a letter to the province asking for more relief than it already had provided. He noted producers called for improvements to new and existing programs in the province, and he knows the government is aware of those suggested changes.

He noted some of those would be alterations to long-term programs, but others are required right now.

“We want to make sure that we don’t lose sight of the improvements that are necessary to ensure the success and growth of this sector,” McLellan said. “But in the short term, to address the drought, cash flow to be able to purchase feed and sustain those animals is huge.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick