Will drought aid come in time? Ranchers lose hope

Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb.

It’s hard to tell what frustrates Todd Eggerling more — the weather or Congress.

Searing temperatures and drought scorched Eggerling’s land in Nebraska, leaving little grass to feed his 100 cattle. Then Congress left for a five-week break without agreeing on aid to help ranchers through one of the worst droughts in the nation’s history.

That means it will be September before Eggerling and other ranchers can even hope for disaster aid legislation that includes cash to buy feed until they would normally send their cattle to feedlots or slaughter in the fall or winter. For some, it’s too late. Out of grass and out of cash, they’ve sold their animals.

For others, time is running out as they try to hold on. Their decisions will affect the price and supply of meat for months, perhaps years, to come.

Most farmers are having a hard year with drought and unusually warm weather. But ranchers are in a particularly precarious position because most don’t have access to federally subsidized insurance programs that cover crops such as corn and soybeans.

Private companies won’t insure grazing land because it’s too hard to predict losses.