GRADY COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) - As drought conditions continue to grow in extremity , local Grady County farmers and ranchers are feeling the costs.

Bobby Holden, a rancher at Grady Ranch, said winter grazing has been affected by the dry conditions.

Instead of winter grazing, Holden said they’ve had to switch to irrigation to keep crops hydrated but the cost is expensive. The switch is also putting them months behind.

Holden said that ranchers are using hay to feed their cattle to make up for the lack of food due to winter grazing not being possible. He said it costs them $3,500 to $4,500 a month to operate the irrigation machinery.

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“It sends our cost of production up tremendously because it’s way more expensive to harvest and preserve the hay than it is t

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