Alberta receiving hay from Maritimes after drought impacts livestock feed

Farmers in the Maritimes will begin shipping surplus hay to their Prairie counterparts this week as dry conditions in the West make it difficult for farmers to feed their animals.

The Hay West initiative aims to support Western farmers who are dealing with severe drought this summer. 

While farmers in the Maritimes have healthy crops this year, crops in the West are withering in the fields and this week's rain has come too late to make much of a difference.

Extreme heat has plagued much of the Prairie provinces as well as Western Ontario. Farmers in B.C. have also dealt with wildfires and heavy smoke. As a result, many Prairie ranchers are running out of feed for their livestock.

"It's tough to watch and … [we're] concerned about the mental well-being of these farmers and the difficult situation they're going through," said Bloyce Thompson, PEI's minister of agriculture.

A farmer himself, Thompson told the Calgary Eyeopener on Wednesday that he helped to get the ball rolling on the initiative after hearing from farmers who wanted to donate.

"Our government wants to help out any way we could," Thompson said.

"Islanders by nature are very generous, so there was farmers reaching out to our office wondering if there's anything they could do — they had hay to donate, there's all kinds of hay still to make."

'We know the hardships'

Logistics for the program are still being worked out, but Thompson said the government is working with transportation companies to effectively move hay across the country.

The best way for farmers to get ahold of Maritime hay is to contact their provincial Canadian Federation of Agriculture representatives, Thompson said, as it will be organizing hay distribution.

"It's a farming community, whether you're a farmer in the Atlantic area or Western Canada or in the middle," Thompson said.

"We know the hardships, and, you know, the farmers are usually the first people to step up to help."

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In the meantime, some fear the drought could mean a long-term reduction in the size of the Canadian cattle herd. Ranchers unable to feed their animals may have to sell off up to 40 per cent of their herds before winter.

Other ranchers may exit the industry entirely.

The federal government has pledged up to $500 million in relief funding for drought-affected farmers through AgriRecovery, a federal-provincial disaster relief program.

The crisis has led to calls for increased mental health supports for those in the agriculture industry. In Alberta, advocates are lobbying for the creation of a 24/7 mental health hotline for farmers.