Drought
Last week, 34% of the U.S. corn crop was covered in drought, and this week it jumped to 45%. The second crop conditions ratings of the season from USDA-NASS confirmed dryness is starting to deteriorate crop conditions.
Much of the eastern Corn Belt is currently experiencing drought. Dry conditions have been parked in the western region even longer. Low subsoil moisture is a concern, and short-term dryness is compounding the issue.
After consecutive years of drought, some areas of Texas are now breaking records for the wettest May ever. With most of their crop left to plant, it’s forcing farmers to make some tough decisions and crop changes.
It was blood bath in the grain markets with soybeans hitting multi-year lows to start the week, but growing drought concerns then sent markets higher. Dan Basse and Ben Brown explain what the trade is now watching.
The U.S. Drought Monitor says 26% of corn acres, 20% of soybean acres and 47% of winter wheat acres are in drought. The wheat crop has little chance of revival, but corn and soybeans have a long runway ahead of them.
California wastes water, hindering farmers’ ability to grow crops. Farmers are ready to conserve, but we need officials who prioritize the future.
A quick planting pace and the possible return of El Nino meant traders have not been focusing on any weather issues. However, with drought continuing to expand, a U.S. weather market might be back in play.
The signs of El Niño grew even strong this month, and as the weather event looks to make its grand return, significant weather changes could be on deck for U.S. farmers this year.
Seven U.S. states along the drought-starved Colorado River have reached a deal with the Biden administration to conserve water in a “historic consensus” to prevent supply problems for big cities as well as farmers.
The 2023 Wheat Quality Council’s Wheat Tour across Kansas found low yields and higher abandonment than what USDA currently has penciled in with one economist on tour warning abandonment could climb even higher.
USDA’s pasture and range conditions shows 33% is rated good/excellent and 37% is poor/very poor. While the picture is improved from last year, a deeper dive shows one state is worse than 2013.
Farmers made significant headway in planting progress last week. USDA shows nearly half of the country’s corn crop is planted and 35% of the soybean crop is now in the ground. There are several states setting records.
Farmers in the Southern Plains are finally starting to see much-needed moisture hit their fields. It may be too late for winter wheat, but it’s a hopeful sign for those needing the rain to even plant summer crops.
The Corn Belt will see a cooler weather pattern set in, and parts of the parched Plains will see higher chances of rain during the next couple of weeks, according to Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Dry conditions spurred by La Nina weighed on areas of the Corn Belt in 2022. As La Nina fades, and El Nino starts to make a return, meteorologists say the weather shift could also signal better crop production in 2023.
The updated Seasonal Drought Outlook for the U.S. is painting a grim picture for many drought-plagued areas of the Plains, but forecasters also expect drought to improve in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.
Kansas typically accounts for 25% of the nation’s winter wheat production, but ongoing drought is weighing on overall crop conditions. Farmers are now facing the possibility of increased abandonment this year.
Some 44% of U.S. soybean oil will go to biofuels during the current marketing year, said the monthly WASDE report. Two years ago, the biofuel share of soyoil consumption was 37%.
Drought continues to tighten its grip across the Plains, forcing farmers in West Texas to make some very difficult decisions this growing season. It’s also causing concerns about crumbling cotton infrastructure.
Just ahead of USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, the largest cotton growing state in the U.S. is seeing another year of drought, and with fields resembling the Dust Bowl, crop prospects are dwindling by the day.
As farmers in the Plains continue to see losses from drought, groups like NSP are discussing during Commodity Classic either permanent disaster aid or other changes to strengthen the safety net within Farm Bill.
Farm Bureau finds 2022 weather events added up to 18 weather and climate disasters, each with damages exceeding $1 billion.
As drought creates a dire situation for farmers in the Southern Plains, National Sorghum Producers is not only concerned about the financial outlook for 2023, but how disaster aid payments will be dispersed for 2022.
Scenes across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas resemble the Dust Bowl after winds topping 100 mph ravaged the area. Growers are dealing with a dryland wheat crop that could already see abandonment as high as 80%.
Despite weather trends, planting projections for 2023 find corn, wheat and soybeans similar to 2022, for a combined 228 million acres—a 3% increase from 2022.
What will the next decade hold for your farm? What factors should you use to weigh investments or crop planning? Here are five trends and data sets to ponder from USDA’s latest Agricultural Baseline Projections.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the river 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since July but hopes to finish very soon.
The sudden switch from drought to too much precipitation in parts of California now begs the question: Is the weather changing, and will California start to dig out from three consecutive years of drought?
Text of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package was released early Tuesday morning. The Senate will vote first and intends to pass the measure before Thursday, leaving the House no time to demand changes.
Iowa State Extension agronomists say there are at least two strategies farmers can consider using in 2023 to address this phenomenon, especially if they expect to be hit by hot, dry weather conditions again next summer.