There was a silver lining in the cloudy skies over prairie pastures this past summer.
With few exceptions, pastures are faring better than they have in recent years because of steady rain showers and unseasonably cool temperatures.
Michel Tremblay, provincial forage specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said cool, moist weather increased the stored soil moisture in most forage land and reduced moisture loss due to evaporation.
“We’re in relatively good shape compared to recent years,” he said.
According to the Saskatchewan crop report last week, approximately 70 percent of the province’s pastures are in good to excellent shape.
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The west-central and northwestern areas have less moisture than other areas, but are still in better conditon than last year.
Tremblay said feed stocks are also good, with above average hay crops and frosted grain crops being harvested for feed.
Hay prices were as high as $80 per ton early in the season but have dropped to about $60.
“We’re in a pretty good feed situation,” he said.
“Feed costs are reasonable and that’s exactly what beef producers need given market uncertainties. If feed is going to be inexpensive, this is certainly the time to have it inexpensive.”
Tremblay said surface water supply for livestock is adequate in most regions, with good fall moisture boding well for the 2005 grazing season.
Fewer rain showers hit Alberta’s northern Peace region and east-central areas this year.
While dugouts struggled to retain water, areas around Westlock did see livestock water supplies return to normal capacity after numerous drought years.
Mark Johns, forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture at Stettler, said good rains in late August and early September have left pastures in fair to good condition going into winter.
“The shape of pastures this fall will definitely help things next year,” he said. “We have turned a corner.”
Above average rainfall helped rejuvenate overgrazed and overstocked pastures in Manitoba, said Glenn Friesen, provincial forage specialist for Manitoba Agriculture at Carman.
“The moisture we had was a welcome blessing,” he said, noting south-central, eastern and southwestern areas were among the wettest regions.
“It’ll definitely be better next spring than last spring but not all that much better because there’s still overgrazing going on.”
Friesen said water holes are full and subsoil moisture and well water supplies are adequate.
Hay yields are double normal amounts, but later than normal cutting dates brought down the quality.
He predicted frost-damaged crops like corn, soybeans and canola being harvested for silage or feed will keep feed prices down.
“We should be in good shape for feed for the beef industry, providing farmers have enough financial stability to buy the feed with no or little income coming in,” Friesen said.
