For the most part, it's not the local farmers who raise the prices but the middleman who takes advantage of the drought areas. For the farmers in such areas, it's a double whammer: they have little hay to harvest, wasted the fertilizer, and the hay isn't any good because of lack of rain. Why, on the other hand, under normal circumstances, the hay is more expensive in the more southern areas as it is up north while production price are more or less the same, beats me. My own local hay person [Al] has raised the price on his round bales and also make them a foot smaller each way but still claims it to be of the same weight. My horses tell a different story!! Honesty is always the best rewarder in the end. We are all in this together.
I believe the government could help drought areas, and in include horses which are generating a multi-billion $ industry in this country and as a export commodity. Eating meat is a luxury. YOu don't need it, and in particular not big stakes every day.
:-}} SB
