Texas Cattle Farmers Can't Take Much More

Some farmers have resorted to slaughtering their animals, selling them off or shipping them up north where grass and water are more abundant.

By: Kris Allred | WSAV-TV
Published: February 07, 2012 | 0 Comments | Post a Comment

These days, rain chances seem more like a dream than a reality. Texas farmers continue to face the worst drought in the Lone Star State's history.

And it only gets worse.

There's not just the drought. There is unseasonably high temperatures. And there is the rising cost of hay. It is a dire situation. Some farmers have resorted to slaughtering their animals, selling them off or shipping them up north where grass and water are more abundant.

In 2011 alone, the number of cows in Texas dropped by more than 600,000, a decrease of more than 12 percent.

However, the demand for beef is remaining constant. With the supply lower than usual, cost fluctuations on the shelves are already visible to consumers.

So why is this happening?

The drought can mainly be attributed to La Nina. This is a phenomenon that typically causes exceptionally dry and mild weather in the southwestern US. La Nina is characterized by below-normal sea surface temperatures across the equatorial central and eastern Pacific.

Most storms track over the northern portion of North America. The moisture hardly makes it south.

So until things change expect to pay more.