It makes more sense to send cattle from Western Canada to the Maritimes than to send hay the other way, says the New Brunswick Beef Producers Association.
The farm group is offering to match producers from the West with their counterparts in New Brunswick who want to buy or temporarily feed their cattle through a program it has dubbed Cows East.
“It’s more efficient to bring the animals to the feed, and that’s why we’re encouraging folks to really consider that as a viable option,” Cedric MacLeod, the group’s opportunities co-ordinator told CBC News last month.
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His organization is participating in the Hay West initiative, but by the time hay reaches Manitoba, the cost of transport is more than the value of the hay, said MacLeod, a cattle producer who is also executive director of the Canadian Forage & Grassland Association.
There are cattle producers in his province who are interested in buying Prairie cattle and even some who would consider wintering animals until the feed situation in Western Canada improves, he said.
The Saskatchewan Stockgrowers Association has created an online form for producers interested in the initiative. The short form, which goes to the organizers of Cows East, can be found at skstockgrowers.com/cows-east.
