Farmers selling many cattle in Mississippi
9/18/2023 12:00:00 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
Society & Public Health
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Mississippi
Jasper County, MS
Leake County, MS
Madison County, MS
Neshoba County, MS
Newton County, MS
Rankin County, MS
Scott County, MS
Forest, MS
Smith County, MS
Start Date: 9/5/2023
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Drought in Mississippi has dried up pastures and water supplies, forcing farmers to sell cattle. A sale barn in Scott County broke a record for cattle sales the first week of September when 2,800 livestock were sold. That record was broken the second week of September and is expected to be broken again next week. Altogether, about 8,500 cattle have been auctioned at the sale barn in the past three weeks.
WLBT Online (Jackson, Miss.), Sept 18, 2023
Farmers across Mississippi have begun to sell livestock, due to drought. More than 3,000 head of cattle were sold on Monday, Sept. 11 in Forest at the Tadlock Stockyard for lack of grass for the cattle to eat. Calves were being sold early at lighter weights because the calves cannot gain weight on the sparse pasture. The stockyard owner said that 90% of the cattle were sold to out-of-state buyers.
Water for livestock was getting low. Cattle got bogged down in an empty pond, trying to get the last of the water. The cattle had to be moved elsewhere.
More farmers have taken their lives in the past couple of years, due to stress and unforeseen circumstances.
WJTV TV 12 (Jackson, Miss.), Sept 13, 2023
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