Farmers keep selling herds at auction while suffering from drought

Farmers keep selling herds at auction while suffering from drought

By ERICA ESTEP
6 News Anchor/Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- During the height of the drought last year, area farmers were so desperate they were selling off their cattle to make ends meet. They couldn't afford to feed them. This year, things aren't much better.

Not only did the price of grain skyrocket, but because of the dry conditions, farmers also had to contend with a major hay shortage. 

On Wednesday, hundreds of cows were rushed through the Knoxville Cattle Auction as local farmers struggle to stay afloat.

"Since last year, we have not improved a whole lot, mainly because there was no stored moisture in the ground," says livestock auction manager Jason Bailey.

Even though rain is finally falling in East Tennessee, many farmers like David Cantrell say it's too little, too late. He's selling 80 cows, most of his herd.

"It is too late for me," says Cantrell. "Hopefully, it's not too late for a lot of the other farmers that can hang on to the cattle that they've got."

Cantrell is overcome with emotion telling 6 News it took 20 years to build the herd he's now liquidating.

"We either had to disperse last year or buy hay out of Louisiana, which is what we got last year," Cantrell explains. "We did manage to get enough to get us through this year, almost, hoping that we'd get a better year this year."

But, the rains didn't come until now and Cantrell, who kept about 20 cows, says he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to build his herd back. His family also has a fruit and vegetable farm they will put more resources in this year.

More than 1,200 cows moved through Wednesday's auction with 95% of them heading to the Midwest.

Jason Bailey adds, "There's not anybody around here that's buying anything to go back right now."

Cantrell has noticed a few less cows selling this week though. "The numbers are off this week compared to last week. I'd like to think that the rain had something to do with that, that some of these guys can hold on to their cattle."

Most of the cattle sold at the Knoxville auction are now bound for other states that weren't hit as hard by the drought.

Buyers like Eddie Young are placing the bids for mostly Midwest farmers. Young bought more than 100 cows by midday on Wednesday. They're destined for Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Northern Kentucky.

The calves are sold by weight, so drought-thinned cows come at a good price.

"A lot of the cattle that are coming out now are in thin flesh on account of the drought which is an advantage to the feeders in the West because a thin cow will gain more weight than a fat one when you put them on feed. So, it's everything to their advantage now," Young explains. 

Experts expect beef prices to go up again at grocery stores as more and more beef will need to be shipped into Tennessee from other states.

It will be another couple years before we know if local farmers have recovered.