Over 30,000 dairy cows have died due to Winter Storm Goliath last weekend. Dairy producers in Texas and New Mexico are still continuing to count the numbers.
There will be an economic impact in the dairy industry. Darren Turley, the executive director of Texas Association of Dairymen, released information that about 15,000 mature dairy cows have died in Lubbock, west to Muleshoe, and north to Friona. The area was the primary hit of the storm and it is home to the state's top ten milk production. The area produces 40% of the state's milk and dairy needs.
In Clovis, New Mexico, the area has estimated to have lost 20,000 mature dairy cows.
Though the count is mainly directed to mature cows, Winter Storm Goliath has probably killed more younger animals compared to the former.
Turley has announced that there will be less milk and dairy produced by the region for a period while the states recover from the storm's tragedy.
It was not the snow that killed these animals. It was the wind. The drifts were measured to be as high as 14 feet. How did these animals die? The wind pushes the cows to a corner as they try to escape the cold wind and snow. They will try to huddle and gather for warmth, and they can ultimately suffocate.
Turley explained (or hoped) that it's a once in a lifetime kind of storm but one that hits hard for the industry's milk producers that may affect milk production for a year. Winter Storm Goliath may cause a ripple effect in the state's businesses and local industry.
Local businesses are now working with the state's environmental officials to dispose of the carcasses safely. Certain counties are allowing them to dispose of the carcasses in their local landfills, reports have indicated.
