WALLOWA COUNTY, OR -- A widespread hay shortage is impacting farmers and ranchers across the west. Todd Nash is the President of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and a Wallowa County cattle rancher. He says there are a number of factors impacting Oregon growers; most notably, ongoing drought. "There’s a few isolated areas that have gotten substantial rain," Nash tells KBND News, "But irrigation water, for example in the Klamath Basin, has been reduced. In Jefferson County, they’re seeing their reduction of water allotment reduced by up to 90%, in some cases." He says, "You don’t have water, you don’t grow crops."

For hay producers who do have water, he says input costs are skyrocketing, "Fuel is crazy high but fertilizer has doubled. We imported a lot of product from Ukraine and so that product has just gone through the roof." It’s all led to a massive hay shortage and big price increases, stretching from Texas and the Dakotas to Oregon and Washington. Nash expects it will lead to long-term issues for farmers and ranchers, "If you can’t get hay, you have to make decisions on what to do with your livestock. And in many cases, it’s just sell them and sell them to wherever you can."

He says hay is selling for about $450 a ton in some regions. Last year, it was about $250 a ton. And three years ago, before the drought, it was just $150 a ton.