Lack of rainfall affecting forage, livestock

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas

A hay producer in Round Top makes a round through his hay field with the rake. Another producer in Round Top, Norris Fuchs, said the lack of rain may reduce his usual three cuttings a year to two. Fuchs also noted the frost earlier this spring has made his hay production "erratic." In some areas of his field he is getting 1/2 bale to the acre, and 3 1/2 bales in others. -Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

May 16, 2002 -- In South Central Texas, there are a lot of producers hoping the old adage of "if you don't like the weather in Texas, just stick around and it will change" will come true.

While the U.S. Department of Agriculture just announced emergency farm loans for 66 Texas counties, it does nothing to help producers, now, and not many in this part of Texas.

Rainfall amounts are reported to be anywhere from .3 and .4 inches of rain for the year in Refugio and San Patricio counties to over five inches in Fayette, Harris, Montgomery counties.

Marty Lindner of the Giddings Livestock Barn said that although there was rain about three weeks ago, he's seen a 10 percent increase in the sale of cows, largely due to the lack of hay. He said if it doesn't rain in the next three weeks, he expect to see producers selling off better cows in the herds.

At the Karnes County Livestock Barn, Ron Carter said they are "not hurting yet," but if you go farther south, things look bad.

David Shelton of the Gonzales Livestock Barn said things aren't too bad, yet, in his local area. Shelton noted he's heard that south of San Antonio there has already been several sellouts of complete herds, due to the drought conditions.

Many Texas Cooperative Extension agents report producers have either cut a first crop of hay, prematurely, or have not even tried to get a first cutting.

In DeWitt County, Anthony Netardus, county Extension agent, said that they are "not as bad as some, and worse than others," with the lack of rainfall.

He said producers are hanging on to what hay they have, and row crops in the western area of the county are in bad shape.

Brian Yanta, in the Goliad County Extension office, said that while producers aren't selling off cattle, yet, they are weaning the calves earlier. He said producers are just "hanging on," hoping for rain in the next couple of weeks.

In Nueces County, Extension Agent Harvey Buehring said it is the driest spring in the 28 years he's been in the Coastal Bend region. The airport in the area has reported only .6" of rain for the year. He added that there is a serious shortage of hay.

The corn crops are very small and immature, with most areas reporting that the corn is tasseling, but is only about knee to waist high, about 60 percent of the normal height at this time.

Roy Wheeler of the Atascosta Livestock Exchange reported that he heard of a producer who had culled his 1,700 cattle herd down to 400, and is looking at reducing it more if there is no rain soon. Many in the area are out of water, and some in the area are comparing conditions to those of the severe drought in the '50s.

In Fayette County, Extension Agent Larry Nichol said prospects look bad, unless it rains soon. While the county received several inches in April, it fell too fast and ran off, rather than soaking into the ground. He added that he "hopes we aren't looking at conditions similar to those in '96 and '98," and even if an El Nino weather pattern surfaces, he's heard predictions "it won't make it down here until winter."

Basically, South Central Texas needs several days of slow, steady rain, and while it may be too late for some of the row crops, perhaps it will allow livestock producers to save their herds.