The potential statewide cost of the drought is in the billions and could crush farmers and ranchers still reeling from droughts in 1996 and 1998, Texas legislators heard Tuesday. Agricultural Commissioner Susan Combs, who toured the dry country near Abilene and San Aneglo on Monday, said ranchers could be the hardest hit. The drought in West Texas has dried up rivers and stock tanks are dangerously low, she said.
Plants normally used for grazing are dead or withered.
Many ranchers are selling off their breeding stock because they can't afford to feed and water their animals, but that only presents a new set of problems, lawmakers were told. In the long term, ranchers will need to replace that stock, often at a higher price, she said. More immediately, they are facing unexpected capital gains taxes. All this when most ranchers and farmers have not financially recovered from the losses they suffered in the past two droughts, she said. Combs said she has alerted the agriculture commissioners in surrounding states about the dire straits of Texas ranchers and farmers because emergency hay hauling might be necessary.