We are hearing from an Idaho cattle executive who says that the non-ag community has no idea how vital the livestock industry is to the state.
More and more ranch properties are growing houses rather than cow feed, and it could impact the entire state. The Idaho Cattle Association VP says that it is not good for the long-term health of the livestock industry, but it is hard to blame producers who have already endured so much.
“We’re growing here in Idaho, I know other parts of the northwest are growing, but it’s reality that’s happening ever day here is what use to be forage production or range production now is houses...,” Cameron Mulroney states. “It’s much more appealing when you don’t have the forage and your costs are getting out of control, compared to your calf price to say, ‘you know what, this land I have right now has a lot of value to somebody else, I’m going to go ahead and liquidate and step away.’”
He says that the drought and heatwave caused some producers to make the tough decision to liquidate their herd.