Many Maritime farmers short on hay, feed after summer drought

Many farmers in the Maritimes are short on feed after the lengthy drought last summer.

On a cold morning in Oxford, N.S., R.J and Jennifer Dillman are already busy on their dairy farm, caring for more than 170 Jersey cows.

But this winter, there’s more than the usual concern that comes with farming.

A prolonged summer drought across the Maritimes has left many farmers short on hay and silage — the feed needed to keep animals healthy through the winter and into the next growing season.

“We usually sell 200 bales a year, we’re about 200 round bales short this year — that’s roughly a 400-bale swing,” he said. “When each bale weighs about three-quarters of a tonne, that’s a big hit.

“Early in the spring it looked good. The forage got a good start, but the rain stopped in June and didn’t come again until October. That put a lot of stress on the land, on the animals and on us.”

The lack of rain meant fewer harvests than normal. Dillman says the farm typically takes four cuts of forage each year. This season, the first cut was average, the second was about half of normal and the third yielded very little.

For dairy farmers, the problem isn’t just quantity — it’s quality.

“You can’t get good milk production off poor feed,” Dillman said. “We had to start looking early.”

To make up the shortfall, the farm purchased feed from Prince Edward Island, about an hour-and-a-half away. Between buying and transporting it, Dillman estimates the cost will be around $20,000.

MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin says she’s hearing from farmers across Cumberland County, New Brunswick and the Annapolis Valley.

“The drought has had a very significant impact on feed supply,” she said. “A lot of farmers are very worried.”

Smith-McCrossin says some beef farmers may be forced to sell their herds in the spring if they can’t afford hay.

“If farmers sell animals because they don’t have feed, that could affect supply,” she said. “On the other hand, if they keep animals and pay more for feed, that cost can eventually show up at the grocery store.

“This is not a normal situation for our region. Farmers are under financial stress, they’re worried about their animals, and they’re worried about how they’re going to get through.”

The province currently uses a program called Hayline, which helps match farmers who have extra feed with those who need it. Smith-McCrossin says one of the challenges is affordability, as prices rise when supply is limited.

She says government’s role is to listen to farmers and help coordinate solutions, including bringing in feed from outside the region if necessary.

Dillman says the stress doesn’t end once winter arrives.

“Farming is a living thing — stress carries year to year,” he said. “When you go into spring already months short, you’re starting the next season on your back foot.”

Dillman said farmers feel a deep responsibility to feed society and when situations like these arise, it can feel like they’re falling short.

For now, buying feed from P.E.I. should help get the farm through the winter. But Dillman says relying on outside feed year after year isn’t sustainable.

“This can only go on for so long,” he said.