Federal, state officials coordinating response to drought in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A state committee said Monday it will meet next week to talk about how federal and Missouri officials can work to combat the ongoing drought.
The drought is hitting Mid-Missouri hard, with much of the area in the "extreme" or "severe" drought categories on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The Department of Natural Resources Drought Assessment Committee on Monday said it will be meeting Tuesday, July 25 to discuss a state and federal response to the drought.
It marks the committee's second meeting since Gov. Mike Parson’s executive order on May 31 that issued a drought alert for: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Chariton, Cole, Gasconade, Howard, Macon, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Pettis, Randolph and Saline counties in Mid-Missouri.
The Drought Assessment Committee meeting was livestreamed via Webex.
In June, Parson announced a plan for Missouri farms to obtain emergency hay and water in the wake of the worsening drought conditions. This included:
- Opening boat ramps at 24 Missouri state parks for farmers to collect water with almost 700 acres available for haying at 17 state parks.
- Opening boat ramps at 36 Missouri Department of Conservation areas for water collection.
- Missouri Department of Transportation offers special overwidth hauling permits at no charge to help farmers and ranchers move hay.
Nobody has been hit harder by the drought in Mid-Missouri than farmers. The lack of rain means less land for cattle to graze.
“Primarily we want our animals to graze because they can do that on their own four feet,” Chuck Miller, the president-elect of the Missouri Cattleman’s Association, said. “If they can’t do that then we got to provide supplemental feed in the form of hay or silage or grain so we can meet our daily requirements.”
Eric Bailey, a state beef extension specialist for the University of Missouri, said the number of animals that are being sold through auctions across the state is up sharply in the last 30-45 days. Selling off livestock is an indication dry conditions. The worsening conditions have forced the state to step in.
“We are working with the Department of Conservation and DNR state parks to get water to the public,” Elizabeth Kerby, a DNR drought response coordinator, said.
Kerby says things could be worse if the state didn't help.
“People aren’t getting the right amount of hay for their livestock either you’re going to start seeing an increase in cattle sales,” Kerby said. “You know people have to start selling off their herds. If they’re not getting water so then that's when we start to see animals dying. So it’s really affecting the agricultural community right now.”
Farmers are still feeling the effects
“Wherever cattle folks are congregating whether it be on the phone on the computer or in person in the coffee shop or at a meeting somewhere the drought or hay and feed process are going to dominate the discussion,” Miller said
According to Miller, whatever the competitive market says cattle are worth that is what they are going to get paid.
So while the drought won’t have an impact on the market price of beef they are devastating for farmers who have to allocate other resources that would usually be spent on things like ranch improvements or equipment, to cover the cost of feed.
That’s a big blow for the nearly 43,000 cattle operations in the state of Missouri.
The drought has also added an extra risk of fire for farmers to worry about.
A hay bale fire erupted Sunday near the Salt Creek Bridge on Highway 240 in Howard County. A truck carrying two hay bales was reportedly the source of the fire, but it is unknown if the truck caught on fire and if it was occupied at the time of the fire. However, a photo sent to ABC 17 News shows large clouds of smoke rising from the side of the road.
A witness told ABC 17 News that crews from the Howard County Fire Protection District, sheriff’s office and Missouri State Highway Patrol were at the scene fighting the fire and controlling traffic.
