In Sayago, part of Zamora, a severe drought has strained cattle farms this campaign. Local farmers report that to keep the rest of their herds viable, some cows may have to be culled as a necessary measure against unsustainable losses.
Across the region, food scarcity for cattle is pressing. Pastureland has dwindled by May, and the lack of feed is pushing producers to consider slaughter as a means to safeguard farm livelihoods. This situation affects cattle herds throughout the province, not just a single farm or village.
Responding to the feed shortage, pastures are being depleted to reduce stocking levels and to endure heavy rainfall. The broader impact extends across the entire province as farmers struggle with dwindling resources and rising costs.
One producer describes the moment as a delicate balance between animal welfare and farm viability. There are challenges in animal care, feed supply, and rising prices. The era of high prices seems distant when the core problem is a shortage of raw materials necessary to sustain livestock.
Beef producer Marcelo Mozo, based in Bermillo de Sayago, outlines a highly complex situation for larger operations. He notes having 90 cows and considering slaughtering at least 20 to 25 to align with available feed. While it might be possible to move around the remaining cattle to different plots, the overall feeding capacity is insufficient. Costs have surged dramatically, with estimates around 900 euros annually needed to feed a single cow. The question becomes what value can be realized from calves when life cycles are interrupted much earlier than planned, halting the long-term growth expected over years.
Many farms are trimming their herds by as much as half, driven by the lack of forage and the astonishingly high prices for basic inputs. The trend leans toward culling as a practical response to drought that drains pastures and, with them, the essential feed for cattle. For some, this is a painful but unavoidable decision in order to preserve farm sustainability.
The only viable option left for many producers is to reduce animal numbers by sending them to slaughterhouses. Yet new problems arise. Marcelo Mozo notes that processing cows takes time, while other farmers report even longer waits for younger calves to be slaughtered, sometimes extending to months. This bottleneck adds to the pressure on farmers who must manage ongoing costs while waiting for processing and payment cycles.
As the drought deepens, slaughterhouses in Castilla y León begin to feel the weight of higher animal throughput. In Fuentesaúco, workers report deals with more cattle entering the system, though facilities still feel stretched. May is typically a busy period for slaughterhouses, partly because the year’s CAP aid reference period ends on April 30 and many animals are withdrawn from the market around that time.
Mozo estimates that at least 30 percent of the local cattle herd has already been removed in Sayago. The year ahead looks precarious for many farmers who, despite the hardship, recognize the need to protect the livelihoods of their households. The question remains whether farmers can endure through the next year or if deeper adjustments will be necessary.
The outlook for dairy cattle carries similar concerns. Industrial buyers have started to cut prices, with May contracts already reflecting around a five-cent decrease. The lack of hay, fodder, and high-quality alfalfa creates a fragile situation for dairy operations. If milk production declines, farmers may be forced to slaughter cattle to avoid net losses. Jorge Hernández, a dairy farmer in Monfarracinos, explains this painful calculus. He stresses that chaff is in critically short supply as some producers burn it to generate biomass, further tightening feed options.
Hernández argues that if hay shortages persist, contracts with large multinational buyers should be suspended to prioritize feeding the animals. He calls hay essential, insisting it provides the fiber that calves and ruminants require to function. The fear now is for the future of dairy herds once beef cattle numbers drop. In his view, if the price of milk remains depressed, the industry could see a significant pullback by late summer or early autumn.
Experts warn that the ripple effects of these animal losses may linger. They anticipate fewer substitutes in the coming years, which could drive higher prices for remaining milk and meat products. Some observers suggest that higher prices might be compelled by limited supply, while others worry about the entry of lower-quality meat from external sources. In this landscape of uncertainty, producers emphasize that the consumer remains the focal point of the value chain, even as middlemen navigate the risks involved in pricing and supply.
Ultimately, the drought places farmers in a difficult position. The path forward will depend on a combination of feed availability, animal welfare considerations, market prices, and the resilience of the regional agricultural system. For many, the immediate priority is preserving as much of the remaining herd as possible while balancing livelihood needs and long-term farm viability.