The first six months of 2010 were the driest in the 90 years that Ulupalakua Ranch has been measuring rainfall.
Rancher Sumner Erdman, president of Ulupalakua Ranch, said Tuesday that the total rainfall for the year is 37 percent of normal. He’s been selling stock and moving cattle off the Upcountry Ranch to other ranches.
The ranch might be eligible for some drought disaster relief loans from the Department of Agriculture, but he’s been too busy to start to apply. “We’re in complete disaster-control mode,” he said.
Erdman said the dry weather has cost his business “pretty good into six digits” this year.
