News Release
June 11, 2007

UW bulletin describes cattle producer responses to drought

The aspects of drought that most affect Wyoming producers and strategies they are using to offset them are reported in a bulletin containing results of a 2005 survey by the University of Wyoming.

The survey was conducted by the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture to learn more about the strategies Wyoming producers are using to respond to drought conditions.

Results are in Multiple Impacts – Multiple Strategies: How Wyoming Cattle Producers are Surviving in Prolonged Drought, B-1178, available online at http://ces.uwyo.edu/PUBS/B1178.pdf. Surveys were sent to a random sample of 3,000 producers across the state. A total of 1,190 were returned.

Purchasing additional winter feed, partial herd liquidations and participation in government fee assistance programs were the most common responses to drought by producers.

Producers also leased additional grazing and weaned calves early to reduce feed requirements during the drought. The least common strategy was total herd liquidation.

The survey found producers were more likely to use multiple strategies as the drought lengthened. Respondents also reported multiple impacts on their operations due to drought.

Hardcopies for $4 each can also be obtained by e-mailing the College of Agriculture’s Resource Center at bixbyd@uwyo.edu, calling the center at (307) 766-2115, or writing to the University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Department 3313, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071.

On the Web: http://www.uwyo.edu/agecon/

 

Story Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
 

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