Post-Crow rate expansion of cow-calf production in northeastern
Saskatchewan is taking place mainly among farmers who already had
cattle, a study has found.
Tim Highmoor of the Western Beef Development Centre examined cattle
numbers in three rural municipalities in the Endeavour, Preeceville and
Norquay areas.
He told a conference in June that he wanted to know why cattle
production wasn’t expanding despite the loss of grain elevators, good
cattle prices, low grain prices and some of the highest freight rates
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in Western Canada.
He noted the region in 1996 had 845 farms with average gross farm
receipts per household of $56,000, the fifth lowest in the province.
Updated census information wasn’t available when he completed his
thesis.
The average farm was 761 acres, the seventh smallest acreage per farm
household in Saskatchewan.
Highmoor said that of the 90 farmers who participated in his survey, 36
expanded their herds between 1995 and 2001, while 14 saw a decline and
40 did not change. However, 31 of the 40 who didn’t change had no
cattle in the first place.
Fifty-two farms had herds in both 1995 and 2001, but they weren’t the
same 52, he said.
The average herd size of those farms increased to 62 in 2001 from 42 in
1995.
“Of the 36 that increased, 31 already had beef cows,” Highmoor said.
“Expansion was all taking place among the guys that already had cattle.”
Cow numbers went up by about 1,000 among the 90 farms and 790 of those
were added to existing herds.
Highmoor said the highest probability of expansion was among producers
who already had 65 or more cows. Only four in the sample had more than
125 head.
He said farmers listed various reasons why they wouldn’t expand or get
into livestock, including the high cost of switching to cattle
production, a shortage of labour, interference with off-farm
employment, enjoyment of the grain farming lifestyle, lack of skills to
work with cattle, and age.
Highmoor compared the ages of farmers with beef cows to those without
beef cows.
“Farmers with cattle were younger than those who were strictly grain
farming – 11 years younger.”
Highmoor said the Saskatchewan government’s push to increase livestock
production should be aimed at those already in the business who have
sizeable herds.
The costs for a 15-cow herd are “out of control,” he said. “With 200
cows you’re more in line.”
Highmoor added that 98 percent of respondents said, ‘don’t let the
government anywhere near this livestock expansion.’
“They want it to expand the way the market would do it,” he said.
“They think government should play an extension role.”
