– Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University
The percentage of Southeast pasture that is rated as poor or very poor is just over 30 percent according to the latest reports by USDA-NASS. This is up sharply from a month ago when less than 10 percent of pasture was rated poor or very poor. The 5-year average for the region at this time of year is around 10 percent.
The Southeast region includes AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV. There is variation within the region as the drought map below shows. The percentage of pasture rated poor or very poor is greater than 40 percent in GA, NC, SC, VA, and WV. Meanwhile, only 3 percent of LA pasture and 4 percent of FL pasture is rated poor or very poor. AL is at 14 percent, AR is 16 percent, MS is 18 percent, KY is 19 percent, and TN is 37 percent.
Many producers are quickly approaching the time of year when they make decisions on when to sell their Spring-born calves. Whether selling calves at a local auction or utilizing video sales for later pick-up, pasture conditions will play a key role in many of these decisions. For producers in drought areas, this decision may come sooner than usual and with lower weaning weights.
This is also a good chance to remind producers to sign up for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. This program is administered by the Farm Service Agency and provides payments to eligible livestock producers in certain drought conditions. HERE is a link to a CMN newsletter from last year that discusses that program in more detail.