More than half of the U.S. is in some stage of drought, while most are experiencing very dry conditions. And the Central Valley is no exception. Mark McAfee owns Organic Pastures in Fresno. He said, “There's been a few hot days this summer, we saw 109 degrees the other day.”
People across the country are bracing for the fallout from devastated crops. McAfee says this has resulted in higher feed prices.
“It is a lot of money. We used to pay $180-$200 a ton now we pay $325. It's gone up substantially,” said McAfee.
McAfee says right now traditional dairy farmers are only getting $14-15 per 100 pounds of milk. They need $20 to make up for high feed prices. Experts believe the price of dairy products are expected to go up as well. Consumers could see their grocery prices rise six percent by fall. Beef, pork, poultry, hay, even dog food prices are expected to go up because of the drought.
One third of the counties in the U.S. have been declared drought disasters by the Obama Administration. This makes them eligible for federal assistance.
TXT 24
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