Gov. Laura Kelly announces assistance for cattle producers affected by heat wave

Gov. Laura Kelly recently announced resources are available to support cattle feeders in southwestern Kansas whose cattle died due to heat stress recently.

A combination of temperatures spiking in a short amount of time, high humidity, and little to no wind caused cattle losses the weekend of June 11 and 12—a rare event in an area that is usually ideal for cattle feeding.

“We’re working as quickly as possible to assist facilities in safely disposing of the carcasses and to respond to the needs of impacted ranchers,” said Janet Stanek, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment. “In the last week, our staff has processed burial permits and worked with landfills to ensure that carcasses are disposed of properly.”

Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam assured that the losses will not create a beef supply glitch.

“Last weekend’s losses reflect a very small percentage of the total fed cattle numbers in the state, so it will not impact meat prices for consumers,” said Beam. “Regardless, this rare event will hit the feeders who owned the cattle quite hard. We have reached out to contacts in southwest Kansas to offer our assistance and support.”

Heat-related deaths in feedyards are rare because producers take precautions such as providing extra drinking water, altering feeding schedules so cattle are not digesting in the heat of the day, and avoiding moving cattle during the heat of the day.

“This was an unusual and unfortunate event. Cattle feeders continually work to mitigate all weather events, whether it’s excessive heat, snow, or wind, and it is always their goal to make sure their cattle are healthy so they can provide a good product for their families and for consumers,” said Matt Teagarden, Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas Livestock Association. “We appreciate the quick response from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to address this situation.”