Heat, drought causing East Texas ranchers to sell off cattle

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A number of factors, including the heat and drought conditions in East Texas, are forcing ranchers to sell off cattle. They say relief will come only in the form of rain, and plenty of it.

Texas Farm Bureau’s Tracy Tomascik says there are hardships being faced by those who raise cattle in Texas.

“It’s culminated into an unfortunate set of circumstances that farmers and ranchers are having to deal with,” he says.

In Emory at a weekend livestock auction, Bryan Forester says while they saw longer lines because of no sale happening the previous weekend, ranchers are also culling their herds in response to several factors.

“Drought, fertilizer prices, hay prices, lack of water. Lot of different things factoring in right now,” he said.

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