Heat forces Lower Austrian farmers to bring cattle down early

Heat and a lack of feed are forcing farmers in Lower Austria to bring their cattle down from alpine pastures earlier than ever, ORF reports. The move is also worsening conditions on farms, where feed supplies are becoming scarce.

The Kleinzeller Hinteralm alpine pasture in the Lilienfeld district normally has about 150 cattle belonging to 24 farmers from the region in August. Only 90 remain after farmers brought animals back to the valley in recent days.

The cattle are finding less lush grass to eat, while even small thunderstorms have failed to provide relief. “There are normally repeated thunderstorms in the mountains, which have often saved us through dry periods,” said Josef Mayerhofer, chairman of Lower Austria’s alpine and grazing association.

In previous years, Mayerhofer said, only some alpine pastures were affected by prolonged dry spells. This year, all of Lower Austria’s alpine pastures are affected. Many farmers are taking water tanks to the grazing areas, while fire brigades are sometimes helping supply the animals. Several springs on the Kleinzeller Hinteralm are still providing enough water.

Lower Austria has about 280 alpine farmers and 5,000 cattle. Many animals normally remain on the pastures until the end of September. Their return weeks early is putting additional pressure on farms, with some already using winter feed reserves or buying in supplies where possible.

“It has become difficult to get feed in the nearby area. Deliveries are still most readily available from other federal states,” Mayerhofer said. The Chamber of Agriculture has therefore set up an Austria-wide feed exchange.

Many farmers do not yet know how the situation will develop. Some are already considering sending breeding cattle for slaughter, Mayerhofer said, warning that those animals would then be missing in the coming years.