Drought

Actions steps to take before a wildfire threatens your livestock and property.
ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer with growing concerns about drought.
Temperatures are expected to be higher next week, and dry conditions are likely to continue in the western Corn Belt. Concerns are building over what lies ahead for spring planting and early crop growth.
Long-time meterologist Gary Lezak says he can predict with 91% accuracy significant weather events that will occur for the next seven to eight months. Check out three of the predictions his team shares for this spring.
Be proactive to ease the impact of changing weather patterns and rising temps.
Meteorologists say the active start to January is a sign of what’s ahead with concerns about drought, more cold and a sharp divide in areas of the country seeing too much moisture versus not enough.
As 2024 comes to an end, roughly 70% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought and dryness. What does that mean for 2025? According to one meteorologist, in six of the past 10 years with a really dry fall, the spring to follow was also dry.
The House of Representatives released its Continuing Resolution text, which includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, $10 billion in farmer economic aid, $21 billion in ag disaster funding for 2023 and 2024 and year-round E15 sales.
Get ready for the months ahead to look a lot different than last year.
Parts of the Texas Panhandle, Kansas and Nebraska could get some rain as early as this weekend. Other parts of the Midwest might have some moisture relief as well by early next week.
If you plan to wean earlier than normal to alleviate stress on cows and pastures, the seven management practices outlined here can help in the process.
Has the rain in parts of the country encouraged producers to start rebuilding the cow herd? How are the markets being affected by both dry and wet conditions right now?
There’s now a 60% chance La Niña will develop between June and August and an 85% chance it’s in effect by November 2024 to January 2025, according to NOAA.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought coverage is now at its lowest level since spring of 2020, but USDA’s topsoil moisture map shows it’s still extremely dry in areas of the west and too wet in the east.
Major winter storms are on the way early next week. With the possibility of blizzard conditions to flooding in the southeast, the impact on agriculture could be two-fold: good news for drought but stress to livestock.
From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.
Some Republican House and Senate members have expressed their concerns to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, particularly regarding the new payment formula used for ERP in 2022.
Despite recent market declines, many factors point towards an overall bullish cattle market in the months ahead. Jeff Clark of Corteva Agriscience, suggests producers start the rebuilding process in the pastures first.
Dry conditions persist across parts of the U.S., with nearly half of the nation’s corn crop and 37% of the nation’s hay crop areas experiencing drought. Cattle producers could be forced to make more tough decisions.
The August Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists when they think cattle herd expansion will start to take place. The majority think cattle contraction will continue for at least another year.
John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it’s a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.
With heat forecast to top 100 degrees in places, combined with the expectation for little to no rain, crop conditions could deteriorate and the biggest risk in the western and central Corn Belt.
The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates 67% of corn and 60% of soybeans are still considered to be in drought, a slight improvement from last week when drought covered 70% of corn and 63% of soybeans.
Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.
Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.
Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.
The updated drought monitor indicates dryness will continue to expand across eastern Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Drought continues to deepen its grip across the Corn Belt, with Iowa and Illinois seeing large jumps in the moderate and severe drought categories. Now, more of the U.S. corn and soybean crop is covered in 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.
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.
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