The dry conditions are a worry for Clark Price, a rancher near Washburn, North Dakota. “Farmers should be okay, because there’s good crop insurance, but ranchers will be in big trouble. They have to get out and sell their herds. Ranchers typically take cows out to grass in mid-May, but I’ve already talked to people thinking about liquidating half the herd to try and get by. Unless something changes, this will likely happen and it could be deeper than that. I’ve never seen it this dry this time of the year.” Hay supplies are tight. “Everyone that has hay right now is tightening up. Distillers grains are usually an option, it’s usually our drought insurance for livestock, but the price has gotten so high it’s hard to justify feeding that to a cow.”
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