The Cattle Show

[rancher]

MRJ- talk to the truckers that are putting out $500 to gas up, who do you think is going to pay for that? Talk to the low income seniors that can't pay their heating bills? Not all own ranches and banks, this high fuel is going to hurt more than you think.

 

[alabama]

Fuel is twice what it was 2 years ago but I still have to sell my hay for the same thing to move it. And fretelizer went over $300 a ton and I hear it went up another $12 yesterday. Where I use to could cut hay all summer and sell enough to cover the cost of all inputs and also make enough to keep my cows fed all winter. I will be lucky to cover fuel and fertelizer this year. I sell 5 x 5 rolls for $25 each. Not the best hay but keeps my cows fat all winter. I sold some the other day to a guy that has been feeding junk hay all winter and his cows show it. He came back for some more but complaned that his cows ate my hay to fast. I told him that they must have liked the tast better.

 

[Shelly]

It's no different here. We cut way back on fertilizer last year, and we'll do the same this year. Fuel prices are just out of this world, I don't even want to guess how much it's going to cost to put a crop in or put up hay. And we're supposed to get by with low grain prices, low cattle prices, and low feed prices. The most money we made through the past year is by selling feed, but it's hard to move with so much of it around.

 

[mrj]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the high fuel prices do not hurt. Only quoting the article that they are not up to the same degree as some other aspects affected by inflation.

We are affected by high fuel prices just like anyone else in ranching, and more than some, since we have to haul cattle to distant pasture most years in order to carry enough cattle to support four families and not abuse the land we have.

BTW, how many ranchers will be staying home from the NFR next winter, or other fun-type trips unrelated to ranch business, because of high fuel prices? I seriously doubt we will miss CFD because of it. We will find other places to cut costs for our one trip that is mostly for fun.

MRJ