Texas drought threatens cattle ranchers' livelihood

WEST TEXAS - It's auction day at the West Cattle Barn in central Texas, reports CBS News correspondent Don Teague.

For 74-year-old rancher Cotton Dietrich, this will be his last.

Deitrich is selling off his herd -- all of his cattle -- because the once-fertile grasslands that feed them are gone.

Three-quarters of Texas is in extreme or exceptional drought. Lubbock has had less than an inch of rain this year. Houston has had just over an inch-and-a-half in three months -- about the same as the Sahara desert.

Texas Gov. proclaims "Days of Prayer for Rain"

Wildfires are ravaging the tinder dry landscape, scorching more than two million acres since January. To make matters worse, this is typically the Texas rainy season.

"We should be seeing rainfall, so if we don't get rainfall in the next several months, the impact is going to be devastating," said Victor Murphy, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

For Dietrich and thousands of ranchers across Texas, the only choice is to sell their herds or go broke trying to feed them.

"After a while you just laugh at it, keep from crying," said Cotton.

The drought in cattle country could actually bring a short-term benefit to consumers. Beef prices have been running at near record highs, but with so many ranchers now forced to sell off their herds, the price of beef is expected to drop.

Already auction prices in Texas have fallen 15 cents from 80 to 65 cents per pound and could continue down through summer.

But with the U.S. cattle population already at a 50-year low -- lower prices won't last.

"We'll be certainly looking at higher beef prices in the future just simply because fewer cows, fewer calves less beef production, so there's going to be less beef in the market for consumers to buy," said Dr. David Anderson, an economist at Texas A&M University.

In the meantime, Cotton Dietrich is already beginning his new career raising a more drought-tolerant herd: sheep.

[Molly-Pchr]

Meanwhile towns along the Mississippi are floating away.

[rgcarter]

Some of these comments are hilarious. A cattleman, from around Athens, came in for lunch today and had our brisket. We talked about the situation. He said, "It's not the damn drought! It's the price of *@#$%* corn!" Mike Anderson's is known for our BBQ, and this is our livelihood. @djtejas... props to you. Good points sir!

[Rodeo_Joe]

Climate change? Record # of tornadoes, Record floods, etc.

What climate change? Fox said that's just a liberal scam.

What climate change? Just pray for rain. Faith-based initiatives.

[uktena]

Karma at it's best. Deal in death and suffering; it will eventually come around to get you.

[maiingan]

The problem isn't so much the drought, but the restrictions on travel of the cattle. Whether alien cattle or native American bison, these large bovines are ready, willing, and able to walk long distances to find better grazing and enough water. Manmade fences and various legalities restricting their travel couple with the farmer's eternal prayers that these resources will be brought to him by Nature. When Nature doesn't cooperate, mobile animals adapt by traveling. Humans can follow the herds they eat. This is how it was before the arrival of alien people, cattle, and the idea of ranches with fixed locations and boundaries. Note: even cattlemen, as well as ecologists, know that sheep are hazardous because they tear up the plants from the roots. It's necessary for the ecosystem for large predators to keep sheep on the move. This is how it works for wild sheep. Texas should tear down all its ranch fences and restore a bison population on an open range, so the animals can travel freely to food and water. No better meat on the hoof. And it's sold commercially.

[mcsameahole]

@maiingan: I don't think you read the article completely. The drought is statewide. In addition, even the bison would die in these conditions. Humans have reshaped the climate. Texas has basically been cleared and leveled. The Texas you see today is not the green eden my grandmother saw when she moved there as a child. The trees and vegetation have been cut down leaving vast open areas of brown grass. And, because of human activity, the climate is changing and weather patterns have shifted. Since Texas basically has no publicly owned land, good luck with tearing fences down.

[shar58]

Maiingan, Are you trying to spread urban myths? Re your "Note" You obviously don't know what you are talking about. We have both sheep and cattle. Have you ever even closely watched sheep and cattle graze? Cattle are actually a little more likely to pull up plants due to their bigger bite. Sheep can graze the grass shorter, but with their smaller mouths take fewer individual sprigs from a plant with each bite. This makes it less likely that the roots will come up. This is not usually the problem. Overstocking that kills some plants is what usually beats up a pasture. Sheep do not like to get their feet wet, so they are better to have in wet riparian areas, and cattle are better at eating coarse forage. It is primarily a function of stocking density.

[Software7]

Speaking from Texas. Apparently most folks have taken a detour from
common sense lately. The worst thing about the drought in Texas is that
there are 500% more folks down here than there were in the devastating
drought of the 1950's, and that today's "Texans" are using much more water.
Having raised cattle myself, and had to suffer the ire of beef-eating folks that complain about the prices... bear witness to the fact that the
rancher is the only person losing money in the market. Feed lots and retailers will still be charging excessive prices as the ranchers go broke. I've seen it repeat over and over again in the past 50 years. Those farm subsidies that Americans gripe about don't go to the average rancher. They go disproportionately to massive agribusinesses. Grow a garden, keep a calf or goat for meat, but for God's sake... stop watering
your lawns! Texas was better off before Rust Belt folks moved down here.
If archaeoclimatology is any indicator, the Great Plains to the Coastal
Plains could be about as inviting as the Sahara if this trend keeps up.

[curse914]

Infinite growth is not possible within a finite space. It would not matter if they are native or not, water consumption would increase exponentially with reproduction.

I agree, the green lawn culture is ignorant.

[msimamaji]

Didn't Rick Perry pray for rain during the Easter weekend? What happened? I'm also wondering whether all these ranchers will apply for federal aid? As usual, it's socialism for me, but capitalism for you.
In any rate, does this country really need beef that badly? First of all, cattle consume a lot of water and grain. Secondly, red meat is full of cholestrol and carcinogens. This adds up to higher medical bills and is one of the reasons Medicare is going broke.
We'd be better off eating less beef. And we can help balance the budget by eliminating all government subsidies for beef producers.

[djtejas]

Red meat is one of the reasons Medicare is going broke? Please show your proof of that statement.
Humans are omnivores...do you know what that means?
Everything in moderation...meats and vegetables.
Oh, by the way, what about the other agricultural products in Texas? One big one, cotton...how do you like having clothing?

[FerdFerkle]

Why can't they move them by truck to area that got loads of rain and let them graze there?

[soniesue]

You obviously don't know much about the cattle business. First: the cost of transporting thousands of head of cattle by truck would be astronomical. Second: Who's land are you going to pasture them on?
Third: Where is the owner of the grass land you're planning to use going
to send his own cattle before you arrive. Forth: the grass fires have just about burned up all the available grass anyway.

[midvale3]

and how do you plan to plant and harvest your vegetables for millions of people?