As a multi-year drought persists on the Prairies, some ranchers are making the tough choice to reduce their herds to ensure there is enough water and feed for the animals that remain.Bart Guyon has a close relationship with his livestock, which makes parting with them that much more difficult.
The Brazeau County, Alta., man raises bison, elk and cattle on his nearly 6,500-hectare ranch, but over the last couple of years, he has reduced his bison herd by 30 to approximately 100, his cattle by roughly 50 to 25 and his elk herd by 60 to approximately 25."We're reducing them based on the fact that we're having a harder time producing off this farm," Guyon said.And Guyon is not alone.
Pomeroy said the drought became "really severe" last year when the seasonal snowpack melted roughly one month early in the Prairies, the mountains and across the North, contributing to hot and dry conditions in the summer." put us into extraordinary drought conditions in some places — the sort of drought you see once in a lifetime," he said.
The province is preparing its wildfire resources, with an additional 100 firefighters, and a $2-billion contingency fund for disasters and emergenciesTrevor Hadwen, a agro-climate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said droughts build up slowly over time and their impacts linger."I don't think we're going to recover this spring."
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