CALGARY — Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says Mother Nature may still provide a solution to cattle producers trying to deal with a severe shortage of hay and grass.
A cold and dry spring in parts of Alberta has led to fears that there won’t be enough feed this winter and prices have nearly doubled.
But Stelmach says there are some areas in the province that have recovered and if there is an early frost, cereal crops will be converted to forage.
He says talks have been ongoing with the federal government on the issue and there is already a program in place to help cattle producers who can’t find enough feed.
If a producer is forced to sell his herd in 2009 and buy it back next year there will be no income tax charged.
Stelmach encourages farmers and ranchers with extra feed to notify local agriculture offices or advertise on the Internet.