Weekly Report Shows North Dakota Crops, Pastures Suffering

Crops and pastures continue to suffer in North Dakota as drought persists.

reduced forage due to drought in North Dakota
reduced forage due to drought in North Dakota
(North Dakota State University)

Crops and pastures continue to suffer in North Dakota as drought persists.

The weekly crop report from the federal Agriculture Department says some farmers have started haying small grains crops that aren’t worth harvesting.

Forty percent of North Dakota’s staple spring wheat crop is rated poor or very poor. Many other crops are in the same situation.

Topsoil moisture supplies statewide are rated 65 percent short or very short. Subsoil moisture is 58 percent in those categories.

In the ranching community, pasture and range conditions are rated 74 percent poor or very poor. Stock water supplies are 56 percent in those categories.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows nearly three-fourths of North Dakota in some stage of drought.

AgWeb-Logo crop
Related Stories
Agronomists urge farmers to scout, treat and communicate any significant losses to landlords and bankers prior to harvest.
Corn conditions posted their steepest weekly drop of the year as triple-digit heat hit the Midwest and Plains. AgResource’s Dan Basse says as a result, slight revisions to national yield estimates are already underway.
USDA ratings show that the nation’s crops lag behind Iowa’s current strong performance, while drowned-out areas and weather stress in Illinois could deliver harvest disappointments.
Read Next
Get News Daily
Get Market Alerts
Get News & Markets App