Producers in Florida are struggling with the extreme weather.
According to the Drought Monitor, two-thirds of the state is covered in dry conditions from abnormal to extreme levels. This is a drastic change from last year when only 20 percent of the state was dry and livestock producers are taking a hit.
Conditions have reduced forage for livestock, which lowered animal weight and led farmers to spend more on feed and supplements.
Fears of wildfires are also on producers’ minds as more than 1,000 fires have burned more than 35,000 acres this year alone in the state. Officials are particularly worried about those impacted by Hurricane Ian last year because a lot of debris, that is prone to burn, is still left in the field.
