Report: Hay and pasture land losses could hit $100 million

KUAR | By George Jared / Talk Business & Politics

The economic impact of a drought that impacted Arkansas for much of the summer could approach $100 million in losses when it comes to hay and pasture field forage losses, according to a report by the Fryar Risk Management Center of Excellence. At least 20 counties in Arkansas have been designated as disaster areas due to drought, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

About 75% of hay and other pasture fields in Arkansas are deemed in poor or very poor condition, the USDA’s Crop Progress report in August indicated. Arkansas livestock farmers use pasture lands to feed their animals during the spring, summer and fall. Many cut hay to feed their livestock during the winter.

“Based on the 2017 U.S. Agriculture Census, Arkansas has 3.189 million acres of permanent pasture land. Assuming changes in acreage between 2017 and 2022 are negligible, 3.189 million acres is the basis for valuing forage production intended for grazing. The 2022 USDARMA county base value of forage production for grazing is $54.51/acre in Arkansas. This implies the total value of grazing acreage in Arkansas is $174 million,” the Fryar report states.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-08-30/report-hay-and-pasture-land-losses-could-hit-100-million

Farmers have decisions to make of crop residue use once harvest is over

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

A severe drought this summer has left at least half of Arkansas’ pasturelands in poor or very poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This will likely lead to a drop in hay production, which means livestock producers will have to find alternate food sources.

One possible solution would be to collect the crop residues that are left once the harvest is completed. That may help livestock producers, but it could have unintended consequences for row crop fields. Burning fields, a common money-saving practice by many in the Arkansas Delta to clear crop refuse, could also have an impact on field quality and next year’s profitability.

With uncertainty in the market for fertilizer prices over the next year, a University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture soil health expert advised producers at the 2022 Rice Field Day earlier in August to consider the cost of replacing nutrients that will leave their field if they burn crop residue, or sell it for animal forage, after the harvest.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/farmers-have-decisions-to-make-of-crop-residue-use-once-harvest-is-over/