Excessive rain, drought cutting into wheat production in U.S.
6/1/2022 1:47:26 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
AFFECTED AREAS:
Colorado
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Start Date: 5/31/2022
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Severe drought has reduced the Kansas winter wheat harvest potential by more than 25%. Kansas is the top winter wheat grower in the U.S. The USDA estimated that 6% of the crop may be abandoned, but a Kansas State University wheat agronomist put the number higher at maybe 8% to 10%. Abandonment in Colorado could hit 30%, according to Colorado Wheat executive director after a very dry May.
Excessive rain in North Dakota prevented farmers from planting as much spring wheat as usual to benefit from the high prices for the grain. While North Dakota is the U.S.’s top grower of spring wheat, this year wheat planting is expected to involve the smallest number of acres on record.
As of May 22, farmers had seeded just 49% of their intended spring wheat acres, on par with 2014 for the slowest pace since 1996, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Reuters (New York), May 31, 2022
Sources
