Cattle on Haughton's ranch (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

RANCHING RECOVERY

Ranchers still recovering from 2023 wildfires and prolonged drought

Aug 13, 2024 | 5:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — In the aftermath of 2023 wildfires and drought limiting hay production, B.C. ranchers were forced to sell off more cattle than usual, upwards of 40 percent of some herds. But the calmer 2024 summer has provided optimism that numbers could be return to the province.

“When the price of cattle is high it’s hard to retain them in your herd, because they have lost income over the past, so you have to rebuild the income but you have to rebuild the herd. So, we are down on our numbers of cattle in the province but we have the feed this year so hopefully we will see some of that rebuild start to take place,” said BC Cattlemen’s Association General Manager Kevin Boon.

While June provided some moisture for ranchers, a dry July and August combined with low moisture reserves in the land has raised concern about the final cut of hay.

“If he loses that last cut of hay because he can’t get water onto it, it’s actually more than a third of his crop that he is going to lose because that is your best cut of hay, that is your highest protein, that is your highest value hay. It can cost them a huge amount of their security for their feed or for their income,” added Boon.

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All this just over a year after ranchers south of Kamloops quickly moved their cattle from the fast approaching Ross Moore Lake wildfire, only now recovering from the damage.

“Twelve months later we’ve done a lot of work getting the place retrofitted. Up this way it has been a calmer summer as far as fires go, but it’s also been a very dry one and stock water and water period is in short supply this year, but we are going to make it through,” added Rancher and TNRD Area ‘L’ Director Doug Haughton.

Haughton has cut back on his number of head this summer as he rebuilds.

“Last year I had 500-550, and I cut back to 400 this year because over to my right here is where the fires were. We had to do a lot of logging and reseeding, so there is a lot of ground that will be ready for next year but wasn’t ready for this year. I did cut back and my neighbours did likewise,” said Haughton.

The BC Cattlemen’s Association only just finished restoring all the fencing for the 2017 fires in the province. But with less extensive damage in 2024, it could actually work against impacted ranches.

“When we don’t have the volume then we don’t see things like agri-recovery triggered or DFAA (Disaster Financial Agricultural Assistance) funding,” said Boon. “So it will be interesting to see this year what we can get for assistance for those guys, because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how big the fire, if it impacts you it’s a big thing on the sustainability of your ranch and your ability to recover.”