More Drought Stricken Areas Begin to Improve

USAgNet reports that areas of severe drought are continuing to shrink across many key agricultural areas of the central U.S., though it may be too late for some wheat farmers who are preparing for harvest.

A new weekly drought report issued by a consortium of state and federal climate experts said in the High Plains, “extreme drought,” the second worst level, shrunk to 29.25% of the region, from 30.43%, while the worst level of drought “exceptional” fell to 7.88% of the region from 8.48%, reports Reuters.

Top U.S. wheat producer Kansas saw extreme drought drop to 47.94% of the state from 51.37%, while exceptional drought dropped to 21.50% from 22.53%, according to the Drought Monitor report.

Nebraska and Texas, also key wheat producing states, also saw drought area shrink. But Oklahoma, also among top production states, saw its level of exceptional drought expand slightly to 9.53% of the state from 8.63% a week earlier.

The drought has taken a toll on crops. In a crop progress report issued the USDA said 39% of the U.S. winter wheat crop was in poor to very poor condition, compared to a year ago at this time when only 14% of the crop was seen as poor to very poor.