Governor Kelly available resources to support cattle feeders in southwestern Kansas whose cattle died over the weekend due to heat stress.

Experts have said the deaths were a combination of high temperatures that spiked in a short amount of time, high humidity, and little-to-no wind. Thousands of cattle were lost during the rare event in an area that is usually ideal for cattle feeding.

Kelly said her administration will be expediting burial permits and reaching out to cattle producers across the state.

Janet Stanek, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment, said “In the last week, our staff has processed burial permits and worked with landfills to ensure that carcasses are disposed of properly.”

Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam also assured that the losses will not create a beef supply glitch.

“Last weekend’s losses reflect a very small percentage of the total fed cattle numbers in the state, so it will not impact meat prices for consumers,” Beam said. “Regardless, this rare event will hit the feeders who owned the cattle quite hard. We have reached out to contacts in Southwest Kansas to offer our assistance and support.”

There are federal resources available to provide financial relief. Impacted cattle feeders are eligible for United States Department of Agriculture indemnity payments, which are made to compensate for the loss or destruction of certain animals and crops. Fatality insurance may also cover some of the losses.

Heat-related deaths in feedyards are rare because producers take precautions such as providing extra drinking water, altering feeding schedules so cattle are not digesting in the heat of the day, and avoiding moving cattle during the heat of the day.

“This was an unusual and unfortunate event. Cattle feeders continually work to mitigate all weather events, whether it’s excessive heat, snow, or wind, and it is always their goal to make sure their cattle are healthy so they can provide a good product for their families and for consumers,” said Matt Teagarden, Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas Livestock Association. “We appreciate the quick response from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to address this situation.”

Beef cattle contribute nearly $13 billion annually to the state’s economy and Kansas exported more than $1.7 billion in fresh, chilled, and frozen beef to countries around the world last year.