THE dairy industry in Texas, America, is in disarray after a giant winter storm claimed the lives of more than 30,000 cows in the state’s peak producing region.
The loss is unimaginable particularly given the impacted region, which spans from Lubbock west to Muleshoe and north to Friona, is traditionally affected by 37 degree celcius temperatures.
Aptly named Goliath, the storm ripped through Texas and New Mexico from December 24 to 29, bringing snow, ice, and wind gusts as high as 128 kilometres per hour. Heavy winds buried animals in snow drifts measuring up to four metres high.
Texas Association of Dairymen communications consultant Kirsten Voinis told the Queensland Country Life farmers were still trying to dig out of the record blizzard two weeks after the event.
“They are still trying to determine the number of cows lost and trying to handle the cows who are deceased,” Ms Voinis said. “In addition, they are trying to care for their remaining livestock to ensure their health and prevent further losses.
“While the region might get a few inches of snow at a given time, the record blizzard included about 20 inches of snow with tornadic winds.”
Association executive director Darren Turley said like all agriculture, dairy producers operated at the mercy of Mother Nature.
“With Goliath, she dealt a particularly harsh and costly blow to the area’s dairy producers, from the death of thousands of livestock they spend so much time caring for to a loss of milk production both over the weekend and in the future,” Mr Turley said.
The impacted region is home to about 142,800 dairy cows and about 60 producers including half of the state’s top 10 milk producing counties.
The association estimates the blizzard killed about 10 percent of mature dairy cows and an undetermined number of calves and heifers, with losses expected to climb once producers are able to fully examine their herds.
Hundreds of loads of milk ready for processing was lost on some farms and cows went almost two days without being milked.
Mr Voinis said the association was liaising with federal and state agencies for support.
Despite the gravity of the disaster and long recovery ahead, Ms Voinis said the industry would continue to thrive and move forward.
“Farmers are tough and Texas farmers are tougher.”
While the disaster is a world away from the hot, summery conditions currently being experienced by Queensland’s dairyfarmers, it is a timely reminder for farmers that Mother Nature has no mercy.
Queensland Dairy Organisation (QDO) president Brian Tessman said farmers in all regions of the world faced various and somewhat different environmental challenges including out of the ordinary and even freak whether events.
“Farmers in Queensland are smart and with help from bodies such as QDO and Sub Tropical Dairy prepare for normal abnormal events,” Mr Tessman said.
“There is always the chance of something so unusual (such as a blizzard) that can catch you out.
“We have seen this in Queensland in recent years with the huge millennium drought from 2001 to 2007, massive floods in 2010/2011, Cyclone Oswald floods in 2013 and the freak event category 5 cyclone in central Queensland last year.”
Mr Tessman said farmers were resilient but could only prepare so much.
“They store feed in hay sheds and in the paddock; they build levies and they make fire breaks and they have emergency plans but you can only prepare so much,” Mr Tessman.
