A punishing spring drought is taking a growing toll across the Great Plains, scorching winter wheat fields, shrinking pasture, and pushing cattle producers toward expensive feed purchases or painful herd cuts.
What's happening?
As Bloomberg reports, the dry spell now covers nearly 90% of Nebraska and Oklahoma and continues the woes for the region that faced large fires in the pastures in the late winter.
Over half of Nebraska is in the "extreme" category of drought, per the U.S. Drought Monitor. That is especially alarming for winter wheat, which relies on spring moisture to finish developing before harvest.
"We've got a lot of modern precedent for these very rough conditions heading into the spring growing season, but this certainly ranks up there with some of the worst we've seen," U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist Brad Rippey told Bloomberg.
The upshot of the conditions is that under a third of the domestic winter wheat crop earned "good" to "excellent" ratings, per USDA data. Half hold ratings that suggest a high chance of major yield losses.
Why is the Great Plains' spring drought concerning?
This goes well beyond a single disappointing harvest. When drought cuts wheat yields and destroys pasture, it can threaten the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers, raise costs for food producers, and eventually affect grocery prices.
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Bloomberg noted that America's cattle herd, already at a 75-year low, will also be severely affected. With beef prices already at a very high level, that may impact consumers long-term.
"Drought just sets everything back," Ben Smith, a field operations manager with the nonprofit Farm Rescue, explained to Bloomberg. "That's when guys start to have to make tough decisions on liquidating some of their herd."
The overall pressure on farmers is mounting. The U.S. and Israel's war on Iran is causing fertilizer prices to surge, and forcing the hand of farmers to cut back operations and harvests.
The increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather like droughts and wildfires are linked to the changing climate. As Bloomberg noted, around 1 million acres of hayfields and pastures burned this winter in the southern Plains.
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Dry landscapes help fuel fast-moving wildfires that can threaten homes, farms, roads, and key infrastructure. They create water scarcity that causes massive yield losses. Over time, the instability can weaken the food system and crush local agriculture.
What's being done about the Great Plains' spring drought?
Unfortunately, Bloomberg reported it doesn't seem a ton of relief is on the horizon in the form of major precipitation from El Niño until the late summer.
Nonprofits like Farm Rescue are aiming to help farmers by donating hay, and providing support for rebuilding fences and equipment destroyed in the blazes.
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