http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

Presently I am weaning my calves because we are out of pasture and the winter pasture presently has no growth from the 2015-2016 winter. We are way over our budget with purchased hay for this winter. As of right now, I will have to start feeding by Oct 15. I will be culling cows down because of the drought to the bare minimum number of head. I have used my drought measure tools but the area grass is so low that we are heading into extreme measures. Some of the livestock will have to go to other areas for custom feeding. We have had to cancel needed projects for the fall months and currently have more financial issues to meet my loans. With the increase of inputs and decrease of livestock value this fall, many Fall River ranchers will be facing a larger amount of expense and a huge decrease of income. As compared to other surrounding counties in the D3 level, we are at the same or worse with the drought situation. Hay prices have doubled in our area to purchase hay. We had a lot of producers from Montana and Wyoming come into South Dakota to purchase hay. In return this has increased our prices dramatically. Many ranchers were not able to put any hay this year, so all the hay needs to be purchased. From an agricultural advisor in Fall River County, South Dakota, on August 19, 2016