Alabama launches hay relief effort for Texas

FILE – In this Sept. 12, 2011 file photo, Simmental beef cattle feed on hay in a pasture near Middletown, Ill. Startups developing cell-cultured meat say their products would be more humane and environmentally friendly, since they don’t require raising and slaughtering animals. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries is launching an effort to provide hay for Texas cattle producers who have suffered losses due to wildfires in the Texas panhandle.

One of the fires, the Smokehouse Creek Wildfire, is the largest recorded in Texas, the second largest fire in the nation’s history, and is larger than the top 20 largest wildfires in California over the past 90 years. This fire alone destroyed over one million acres.

“I reached out to my counterpart, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, to express my sympathy for their loss of thousands of cattle and millions of acres of pastureland and offer Alabama’s assistance during this disaster,” Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries Rick Pate said. “We have committed our resources to help provide Texas farmers with hay for their cattle during this devastating time along with our partners at ACA and ATA. When I reached out to the associations, they did not hesitate to offer their services.”

Early estimates report more than 7,000 head of cattle deaths due to the fires. The final number directly related to the fires could reach 10,000. The true total may not be known for months, as ranchers may consider euthanizing cattle who have suffered severe injuries.

Even though the wildfires are now contained, the path of devastation burned over 1.5 million acres of prime cattle land. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, more than 85 percent of the state’s cattle population is located in the Panhandle where the wildfires occurred.

ACA has established a website for farmers who are willing to donate hay by truckload or individual bales: https://www.bamabeef.org/p/about/wildfirerelief

If you do not have hay available but are still interested in helping the farmers in Texas, you can make a tax-deductible donation on the same website.

“Cattlemen helping cattlemen is something we know all too well in Alabama. The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is proud to come alongside Commissioners Pate and Miller and the Alabama Trucking Association to assist our cattlemen friends in Texas as they recover from this historical natural disaster.”

Hay drop point locations are listed below:

Alabama Livestock Auction – 800 US Hwy 80 E, Uniontown, AL 36786
Baldwin County Coliseum and Fairgrounds – 19477 Fairground Rd., Robertsdale, AL 36567
Cullman Agricultural Center – 17645 US Highway 31, Cullman, AL 35058
Frisco City Stockyard – 20 Houston St., Frisco City, AL 36445
Northwest Alabama Livestock on March 29 & 30 – 14330 AL-243, Russellville, AL 35654

The state agriculture department is working with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) and the Alabama Trucking Association (ATA).

A part of this relief effort is providing transportation of the donated hay to Texas. ATA has stepped up to meet that need.