Sort (ACN).- Snow reserves and bad weather are delaying the ascent of sheep, cattle, and mares to the mountains due to a lack of food or drifts of snow. In the Pallars Sobirà region, the most affected areas are the upper reaches. In mountains such as Port de la Bonaigua or Lladorre, the animals will arrive a month later. During this time, they graze in meadows near villages where the grass is more abundant. Livestock farmers complain that the grass the animals eat during this month when they should be in the mountains is what they should be mowing and storing for the winter.
For some farmers, the financial losses can be as high as 50% of the grass they harvest from their animals. In the Lladorre area (Pallars Sobirà), they gather the flocks on the mountain and hire a shepherd to watch over them throughout the summer. This shepherd also waits to find out when the flocks can be brought up to the mountain to begin working. About eight flocks (approximately 2,500 sheep) gather on this mountain.
The delay in herds' journey up the mountain not only causes economic losses to ranchers but also creates more work for them. During these weeks, ranchers should be harvesting grass, but instead, they have to look after the animals that haven't yet been able to climb the mountain.
The economic loss is the grass the animals eat during this month. All this grass they eat now will be missing in winter, and they'll have to buy it. In some cases, it's half the amount of grass.
The snowdrifts that remain on Port de la Bonaigua and other nearby mountains pose a danger to animals, as small animals can easily catch colds. Walking in the snow also damages animals' paws. If you take them to the mountains in these conditions, you risk losing an animal.
This year's bad weather has made food scarce in the mountains. On Llessui Mountain, the first herds have already begun to arrive. Here, the planned date to begin herding the cattle was the 7th, but it has been delayed until the 10th, given that there is still snow above 1,800 meters.
Source: La Vanguardia
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