The drought that covers all of Arkansas is hitting cattle producers in the Arkansas River Valley hard, where the dry areas are rated as "extreme" in the June 26 U.S. Drought Monitor.
"We are in crisis mode," said Phil Sims, Pope County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "Cattle producers are calling extension offices all through the western counties daily with questions on byproduct feeds, asking where they can buy hay and 'how do I ship hay in from out of state'?"
Sims and agents from other Arkansas River Valley counties met last week to find a way to help their clients.
Drought Management Seminar To Help Producers
"We knew if we didn't do something soon, there might not be anything we can do," he said.
To help livestock producers, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Arkansas Tech and Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, is sponsoring the River Valley Drought Management seminar to provide tools to help manage their operations through the current drought.
The event is Tuesday, July 10, 2012, from 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Arkansas Tech University's Doc Bryan Auditorium, 1605 Coliseum Drive Room 109, in Russellville.
The agenda:
- Tax implications of selling your cowherd by Kent Dollar, Certified Public Accountants, Inc.
- Forage management:?Making your farm resilient to drought by Dr. John Jennings, professor-forages, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
- Stretching your hay with crop residues and byproduct feeds by Dr. Shane Gadberry, assoc. professor-ruminant nutrition, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
- Winter annuals for fall and winter grazing by Dr. Paul Beck, associate professor, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Dealing with insect pests during drought by Dr. Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture