This Week's Scorching Heat Wave Killed Thousands Of Cattle, Costing Kansas Farmers Millions

Kansas is ranked among the top beef producers in the country, with an estimated 1.4 million beef cows in the state in 2022.

But when the average temperature in southwest Kansas for the week beginning June 13 spiked to a scalding 102 degrees, business got slammed.

What happened: This week's scorching heat wave, primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Southeastern areas of the country, hurt livestock.

"The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is aware of at least 2,000 cattle deaths that occurred in the southwest part of Kansas," Matt Lara, the communications director of the agency said to NPR.

A chilling video surfaced on Wednesday, showing rows of cattle affected by heat stress.

NPR noted that the statistic from the state's health and environment office only includes losses at farms that requested assistance with carcass disposal, implying that the total could be more significant.

Why it matters: Kansas is experiencing various meteorological conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor, aggravated by the extreme heat. Almost the whole western half of Kansas is considered abnormally dry or drought-stricken.

Each of the 2,000 cattle that have been reported dead is worth $2,000 — making for a total of $4 million in losses.

"Any kind of animal loss is significant to a producer, to cattle feeder, to a rancher. No one wants to see any kind of loss like this," said Kansas Livestock Association member Scarlett Hagins.

Image courtesy of SyncMedia