By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Monday January 24, 2022

Jan 24, 2022 | 10:43 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — Some Alberta cattle producers said they will run out of food for their animals soon as train delays and the impacts of last summer’s drought combine to create a crisis on the prairies.

The Alberta Cattle Feeders Association said several large feedlots, housing anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 head of cattle, have indicated they could run out of food within days.

The industry group said the situation is now an animal welfare issue.

Last summer’s drought ravaged crops on the prairies, forcing Canadian cattle producers to import large quantities of corn from the U.S. this winter to feed their animals.

But the cattle industry said train shipments of corn aren’t arriving on time due to labour shortages, cold weather and other supply chain challenges.

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Experts said wildfires, sweltering heat and extensive flooding throughout southern B.C. last year have underscored the importance of building resilience against the effects of climate change in the agriculture sector.

Sean Smukler is the chair of Agriculture and Environment at the University of B.C. He said the province is ahead of the curve thanks to a government-funded Climate and Agriculture Initiative launched in 2013.

Smukler said B.C.’s efforts to adapt have been incremental when they should be urgent, and more funding is needed to match the scale of the challenge.

He said reacting to extreme weather and the effects of climate change will be much more costly than being proactive now.

Climate and Agriculture Initiative director Emily MacNair said it’s tempting to focus on extreme events, but they’re not the only threats to agriculture.

She says B.C. needs to confront the challenge of ensuring there’s enough water for food production as droughts worsen.

MacNair said one logical step is to consider how to store excess water from the spring melt or heavy rain in the fall and winter.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW