Murphy Woodhouse/KJZZ

A cowboy wrangles cattle at an auction at the Sonoran Regional Cattle Union headquarters.

In the absence of federal assistance, Sonora is trying to help the state’s ranchers survive the historic drought.

The program will provide ranchers with seeds for foraging crops, enough for thousands of acres, according to a state release.

Much of Mexico is currently experiencing some level of drought, and Sonora is among the most impacted. As KJZZ has reported, many ranchers have sold off significant portions of their herds to scrape by.

“It will bring a little relief, but it should have been implemented since January,” Hector Sanchez said of the aid program. He’s the head of the cattle union in Alamos, which has had extreme levels of drought since last November.

But ultimately, he said it’s only the federal government that has sufficient resources to really make a difference, and rain is the only thing that can truly resolve the situation.

→ Historic Sonoran Drought Brings Hard Times For Ranchers, Farmers