Cattle producers in Oklahoma lost $26 million in stock, fencing, and facilities to wildfires during April, estimated Derrell Peel, a livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University. A preliminary tally includes 1,600 head of cattle and 2,100 miles of fencing.
“More than 348,000 acres burned, causing a wide variety of losses to livestock, pastures, hay, fences, and facilities,” said Peel in a release. Fire losses will have a long-lasting effect on individual producers, although livestock prices are not expected to be affected significantly. Oklahoma is the No. 5 state in cattle production.
The western third of the state, including the Panhandle, is said to be in either extreme or exceptional drought, the two most dire ratings used by the weekly Drought Monitor. Peel said the estimated losses from the fires include $16.4 million for fence replacement, $6.3 million in facilities and corrals, $1.6 million for emergency feed, and $1.4 million for cattle killed by fire, plus veterinary costs and the reduced value of surviving animals.