Texas Agriculture Commissioner Announces Updates to Hay Hotline

Texas’s agriculture commissioner has launched changes for ways ranchers can find forage for their animals.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced several updates to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Hay Hotline.

The service connects ranchers who need hay with those who have it, and now includes prices and sources for donated hay. Another change includes a way to connect ranchers with transportation services to deliver hay and grazing lands.

Staples said “Right now there is no pasture, no hay and no end in sight. The need for hay is dire and getting more desperate each day.”

According to Agrilife Extension, agriculture losses due to this year’s drought have already reached $5.2 billion, and are now the costliest in state history for Texas farmers and ranchers.

The Hay Hotline can be accessed by calling 877-429-1998 or by visiting www.texasagriculture.com/hayhotline.