Substantial Cattle Selloff Underway In Eastern Colorado Thx. To Drought

STERLING - Drought-scorched pastures and hay prices of $100 or more per ton are forcing northeast Colorado ranchers to start selling off some of their cattle. Hay normally sells for $50-$75 a ton.

May and June are normally quiet months at Sterling Livestock Commission Co., but sales have been busier this year. "In May this year we sold 2,184 animals, compared to the 1,400 head we sold in May 2005," said Becky Santomaso, who owns the livestock company with her family. "The second sale in May, we sold 1,000 head," she added. This was at a time when normally there might be fewer than 200 animals.

Tom Mertens, who runs about 100 head of cows in partnership with one of his brothers, said their cattle are out on pasture now, but the grass is just burnt up. "We didn't graze our pasture here (in Logan County) real heavy last year, so the cattle are eating the dried grass from last year. There's nothing new growing now," he said. Mertens said their pasture up by New Raymer did receive some rain and is greener, but even there, the grass is really short. "We really do need a good rain," he added.

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Bill Condon has farmed and raised cattle on his land near Crook for many years. He is still active in the cattle business and noted that the 2006 drought is proving to be one of the hardest times he has seen. "It's one of the toughest years we've ever had," Condon said. "The cow herds will have to be cut, that's all there is to it. The main thing you can do is lighten up. If you've been running 20 acres per cow, you may have to go to 40 or more (acres)." He said the first thing most people will do is sell their older cows. They will try to keep their herd going by keeping their younger cows - and hoping for the desperately needed rain. "Agriculture is always a crap shoot," Condon said. "But we have real bad odds this year."

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http://www.journal-advocate.com/Stories/0,1413,120~7824~3331479,00.html

The price of burger will go down for a while, until the cattle per acre ratio drops considerably, but the price of the bun will go up eventually if this keeps up.

Eventually, though, the price of both beef and bun could run much higher if the drought keeps up. I think that global warming is part of the picture, making normal dry years on the plains worse and dropping the number of wet years.

The first real hint of climate change for most Americans may be sharp and permanent increases in the price of wheat bread and beef. Forget the polar bears, what we're talking here is the stomach of an SUV-driving Joe Schmo. It might just get some people's attention.

... if, after all of the shouting, protests, reasoning, logic and
persuasion, the one thing that gets the message across to the
American public is that their beloved quarter-pounder has increased
in price!

Maybe this will be the end of Homo Moronicus? (One can but hope)

n/t