LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS MUST BE RESILIENT. The livestock industry is always in a state of constant change. But one thing never changes: The resilience of the livestock producer. After a world changing pandemic, this industry rallied and made more opportunities than ever for the next generation. But what are some of the challenges a producer faces?
RISING OPERATING COSTS. It continues to get harder for livestock producers to keep afloat. Inflation has created issues in all segments of our industry from trucking, product availability, land availability; the list goes on. Inflation has caused producers to spend more money on vital inputs such as feed, equipment, fuel, and more.
SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS. Another issue impacting farmers is supply chain issues. Supply chain issues today are a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies are having trouble getting products to America from overseas. This can cause a hold up for many producers. For example, if they need a part for their combine and the distributor cannot get it due to the supply chain, the farmer is at a standstill until that part comes in. COVID-19 has made changes for everyone and everything, and the agriculture industry is no exception.
NEGATIVE MEDIA. We have a media network who has gotten very good at telling the story of agriculture from outside the fence when they don’t see the full picture. As agriculturists, it is important to tell our story. Farmers and ranchers work hard to provide the best for their animals and that is what should be shown.
WEATHER AND DISASTERS. Weather has a huge impact on producers. Heat, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other natural disasters can all have an effect on livestock. To keep animals cool in the heat, farmers needs to ensure their livestock have a lot water and access to shade. Tornadoes and other natural disasters get a little more difficult for farmers to protect against. However, farmers and ranchers must provide shelter in the case of a storm, and make sure those animals get to safety.
ILLNESSES. Like COVID, avian influenza, also known as bird flu, came without any vaccination. This disease spread rapidly through the poultry industry and caused the death of many birds; both wild and domesticated. Farmers did their best to keep their facilities clean and to sanitize, but many operations still got this awful disease. Luckily, this disease can not live in warm temperatures so it had essentially disappeared once the hot weather came in.
PRODUCING FOOD. Raising livestock looks different for everyone and wading through the different choices can be challenging. Some may be more aggressive with their budget; some may look into more efficient management outcomes with feeds that offer better gain and productivity; others may choose to capture premiums of their cattle through a branded beef program or to market beef locally to cut out the middle man. At the end of the day, producing high quality food for the consumer is the end goal for producers.
YOUR COOPERATIVE PARTNER. At Central Valley Ag cooperative, we work with customers and their ideas on how to reach their goals; no matter how big, no matter the way it may look. We offer a variety of products that are economical, high quality, and time saving. Our team is constantly thinking of new ways and different rations, or recipes, to meet our customers demands. We know the challenges they are being faced with and we are here to help. Not only with feed, but with management advice or selection. They say it takes a village, and Central Valley Ag is proud to be part of our customer’s village.