Cattle producers in Alberta are either re-locating their herd to a safe place or are preparing to do so, as wildfires continue to burn in parts of that province.
Chair of the Alberta Beef Producers Brodie Haugan says producers are keeping each other up-to-date through social media and other means of communication.
He says while each operation is unique, some have been affected, but noted there are people on the ground doing everything they can to ensure the safety of animals and people.
“It’s incredible how much support there is in the agriculture community,” Haugan said. “People are opening up their land, their homes, and providing their own support and services to help these operations either moving cattle or doing anything required to help these operations, and even taking cattle in and people into their homes, so it’s incredible to see the outreach.”
Haugan says it’s too early to tell what impact the wildfires will have on feed resources in Alberta, considering they are coming off several years of severe drought.
“We hope it starts to rain, but right now we’re just keeping the pulse on what’s going to happen in the coming days and weeks and ensure we can do everything we can to make sure there is much support as possible for these affected areas.”
The Albert Beef Producers, according to Haugen, is focused on communication – ensuring farmers have the most accurate and up-to-date information in a timely manner.
“Our staff has been working all weekend and dedicating as much of their time as possible to ensure active communication is up-to-date on our website as well as our social media pages.”
Meanwhile in Saskatchewan, there are 20 active wildfires – 9 are contained, 2 being monitored, and 9 not contained – as of 3:13 p.m. today.
The latest wildfire information for Saskatchewan can be found on the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency website.