Forage shortages force some farmers to make hard decisions
/by Emily Leeson
As winter approaches, the consequences of the hot and dry summer of 2020 are still playing out for some producers in Atlantic Canada. Throughout the region, lower than average forage crops are now forcing some to make hard decisions as the winter months and shortages loom.
“All of the Maritimes seem to have been affected, but some areas did get timely moisture and are a bit better off than most,” said Amy Higgins, industry coordinator with the Maritime Beef Council. Reports suggest that New Brunswick is dealing with the worst of the situation.
Higgins said she suspects that many producers in the region are looking for additional forage at reasonable prices.
“There seems to be some fairly large variance from a supply-demand curve, which has seen some quality forage having a ‘for sale’ sign on it at higher prices than we’ve seen in recent years,” said Higgins. “Some producers are certainly looking at what they are overwintering and maybe toeing a harder line in their culling decisions this fall and through the winter.”
On P.E.I., Bertha and Vernon Campbell of Mull Na Beinne Farms in Grahams Road said their second cut was almost non-existent. As dairy farmers, the option of selling off animals – although not entirely uncommon – doesn’t really work for producers who are working to fill their quota.
“It is not really a solution,” said Bertha Campbell.
Across the Northumberland Strait in Nova Scotia, Sonny Murray, field crops specialist with Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc., said his province’s forage crops have managed relatively well despite the challenges of the past season. Murray said Nova Scotia didn’t fare as badly as P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
“There were a few farmers taking extra late cuts of forage off of cereal regrowth and forage fields to be rotated to cereals and corn next spring well into October and November this year to try and fill some of the demand for forages,” said Murray. “There were also some corn stalks that were baled after grain harvest to fill demand for feed and bedding. This is normal in parts of the Midwest U.S. but very rare in the Maritimes.”
Ann Huntley of Moon Tide Farm in Canning, N.S., said they brought in their first cut about a month earlier than they normally do with the hopes of a second cut. Although that ensured they got what they needed and were ready in advance, the second cut didn’t pan out. The conditions just weren’t there for the crop at that point.
Huntley said many other Nova Scotia producers are likely in a similar situation. “They got what they need but not a cushion,” she said.
Newfoundland and Labrador seems to have escaped the worst of the dry conditions. In fact, the province’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture reports that the second cut of the forage crops in July and early August did recover despite the dry weather, with average to slightly better than average yields.
“Exceptionally high yields of cereal grains were also noted across the province this year,” said department spokeswoman Linda Skinner.
That wasn’t the case in New Brunswick.
Cedric MacLeod, executive director of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association and owner of Local Valley Beef in western New Brunswick, said producers in the region have been struggling.
“Everyone probably bought a little bit of feed – even just to get through the pasture season because it was so dry,” he said. “Pastures ran out quick.”
Winter shortages are pretty much a guarantee in much of New Brunswick.
“That’s where the decision comes in: do you move cows and reduce the herd or buy expensive feed?” said MacLeod.
Bringing in forage from elsewhere means absorbing the extra cost of not only buying it but also transporting it. While MacLeod said there’s certainly pockets relatively nearby with extra forage for sale – in parts of P.E.I., the Antigonish area of Nova Scotia, and in the Eastern Townships of Quebec – it’s still costly for producers to bring it home.
He said he’s been hearing about cull rates among New Brunswick beef farmers of 15-30 percent. Many brought calves to market early when prices were still strong. But that situation is starting to change, with prices dipping as more producers decide to cull herds because they anticipate winter feed shortages.
MacLeod said some producers are looking into alternative feed solutions instead of culling herds because they’ve invested so much in their cattle’s genetics. “They’ve bought standing corn and made corn silage, which is a little bit unique,” he said. “We see that sometimes in Ontario. Not so much down here. But it was so desperate dry that guys had no other choice.”
MacLeod said this year’s weather is still a concern for future forage crops.
“To be perfectly honest, I just hope this weather gets cold again as soon as possible,” he said, explaining that a mild spell in late fall – such as the region has experienced – can cause forage crops to break dormancy and become susceptible to winter kill.
Even for those areas of the region where producers were able to salvage what forages they needed from an unforgiving season, much remains to be seen.
“The bigger issue is that when cow herd numbers go down, they generally don’t slingshot back in the next good year, so that would be the concern long term,” said Higgins. “The flip side of that is sometimes a few hard culling years will improve the quality and productivity overall because some of those cows with reproductive or performance issues will naturally be the first ones to go.”
