Mississippi cattle farmers facing high production costs

 Brandi Karisch, beef specialist with the Mississippi State College Extension Service, mentioned beef manufacturing is a major factor of the state’s agricultural financial system, with a complete estimated worth of $318 million in 2022.

 “Mississippi producers face related challenges to these in lots of different states, as prices for feed, gas and fertilizer for pastures proceed to be excessive or rise,” Karisch mentioned.

 Rocky Lemus, Extension forage specialist, mentioned the state’s beef trade is supported by the two.6 million acres of forage manufacturing throughout the state, together with about 600,000 acres in hay manufacturing.

 “Though forage ought to be the inspiration of livestock manufacturing, some limitations comparable to restricted rotational grazing and farm forage diversification require hay supplementation for 90 to 110 days within the yr,” Lemus mentioned.

 This demand from the meat cattle trade places pressures on the state’s pastures to offer adequate, high-quality forage. Lemus mentioned producers can cut back the necessity for supplementation in the event that they implement extra environment friendly rotational grazing methods relatively than overgrazing and permitting weeds to develop into a barrier to forage utilization and return.

 “Pasture value has elevated by 20% to 30% within the final 5 years as a result of improve in fertilizer prices,” Lemus mentioned. “We can not afford to proceed including fertilizers based mostly on guesses. Begin with a soil pattern to find out pH and nutrient ranges, and add fertilizer based mostly on these suggestions.

 “This yr, we’re seeing a decline in fertilizer costs, and producers ought to benefit from this value discount to develop a nutrient administration plan that’s environment friendly and sustainable,” he mentioned.

 The MSU Forage Extension Program works carefully with county Extension places of work throughout the state to offer instruments and proposals for producers.

 “Our objectives and goals are to assist producers to be extra sustainable by growing grazing and nutrient administration plans that might improve forage high quality and manufacturing,” Lemus mentioned.

 The arduous freeze of December and the freeze in early March impacted cool-season annual grasses, comparable to oats, and prompted a delay within the alternative to graze annual ryegrass.

 “We in all probability misplaced 4 to 6 weeks of grazing potential on account of these circumstances,” Lemus mentioned. “We predict decrease hay yield this summer season season and the hay stock to stay tight on account of these circumstances.”

 Mississippi has just below 16,000 particular person beef cattle operations within the state. Karisch mentioned that, as of Jan. 1, these producers had 860,000 head of cattle, together with 478,000 beef cows and 91,000 beef cow replacements. Scott, Jones, Tate, Hinds and Walthall counties lead the state with the variety of beef cattle.

 State cattle producers are closely concerned in stocker cattle manufacturing, elevating greater than 400,000 head of stocker cattle within the state annually.

 “We’ve got famous a decline in cattle numbers the previous few years on account of many components, and that is mirrored within the decreased variety of beef cows discovered this yr in comparison with final,” Karisch mentioned.

 There’s a massive and rising group of customers who search domestically raised beef and are prepared to pay a premium for meat merchandise from a recognized supply. Karisch mentioned farmers markets and social media teams are nice methods to attach with native farmers and study the place meals comes from.

 “Cattle producers supply domestically raised beef in all elements of the state,” she mentioned. “There are a large number of choices for customers to purchase a half or entire beef or bundles and particular person cuts.

“Many producers are in search of out USDA-inspected amenities with particular person labels that enable them to market to customers who may not have the freezer house or money circulate for buying a complete or half beef,” Karisch mentioned.