Canadian drought conditions could force ranchers to sell their cattle

Cattle ranchers in parts of Western Canada are battling with drought conditions that might set them back years, the Canadian Cattle Association is warning.

As of June, 83 per cent of the four westernmost Canadian provinces – Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia -- were abnormally dry and experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to Agriculture Canada.    These conditions make it challenging for cattle farmers to maintain their livestock and keep business operations going, Tyler Fulton, vice president of the Canadian Cattle Association, told BNN Bloomberg on Tuesday.   As significant parts of Western Canada continue to experience serve drought conditions, some ranchers will have to sell their calves or cows in order to reduce financial strain, he explained.     “What will happen is that some of those animals will go market, will go to slaughter, and that will impact their (the farmers’) economic viability going into future years,” he said.    The drought has left ranchers between a rock and a hard place, Fulton added.    “They’re dealing with several years of drought conditions, which means their pastures have deteriorated so they’re not producing anything. Their winter feed production is next to nothing simply because we rely on moisture to produce those crops,” he explained.    At this point, it will come down to planning, he added.    “There are pockets that are in a really tough time,” Fulton said.