Imperial Valley Press

DROUGHT RELIEF PROGRAM GIVES FINE OPPORTUNITY TO DAIRYMEN

The government's emergency relief program offers dairymen a splendid opportunity to build for the future by freeing their herds of unprofitable animals according to Frank G. Beyschlag, county director of drought relief. He points out that it is the purpose of the drought relief program to help dairymen survive the present emergency feed and water shortage condition and stay in the dairy business. A two way service is offered to that end. Through the drought relief program dairymen may dispose of their low producing and least profitable animals by making application with their banks or at the farm advisor's office at El Centro. Through the emergency feed loans which locally are in charge of Charles Bratton, at the court house, the federal program tries to encourage and make it possible for dairymen to keep their highest producing animals or the offspring of these animals as nucleus from which to build their future herds.

The territory over the United States which has been included in emergency drought relief areas is very extensive. The county director states that it is possible the sales of cattle to the government for slaughter within these areas may materially reduce the dairy and beef cattle population of the country. He further points out that with an assured water supply after the completion of the Boulder dam next year that there should be a strong local demand for high grade foundation stock for dairy herds

"Most of the ranchers who are taking part in the drought relief program are disposing of only their low and medium quality stock and keeping the best animals. A few, however, lured by the slight premium over current beef market prices paid by the federal program have disposed of their entire herds. While there is nothing in the regulations of the program itself to prevent this, it tends to defeat the purpose of the program which is to help cattlemen and dairymen remain in business. This may also work against the best interests of the producer himself in case next spring he should wish to reenter the dairy business and in case livestock prices should then be materially higher," Beyschlag says.

Absolute lack of feed or water of course may force some dairymen to dispose of most, if not all, of their milking herd. By careful planning and ingenuity however, Beyschlag points out that most of such dairymen can arrange to carry over some of their best young stock and perhaps a very few of their best cows. Even if the SERA should not be able to always keep such livestock supplied with water the producer himself no doubt can haul enough water for six or more head. With a prospective abundance of feed and water in future seasons, a small number of the cream of the present herd will then be a splendid start to a dairyman in establishing a top notch herd.