ST. LOUIS: Dry conditions have worsened in the key farming states of Kansas and Nebraska as the worst US drought in decades continues, the latest national report said yesterday.
The US Drought Monitor said recent rains helped some farming states, but the land across the contiguous US— aside from Alaska and Hawaii — under some form of drought was at 61.8 percent as of Tuesday. That was a drop of less than 1 percent from the previous week.
The land under extreme or exceptional drought — the two worst classifications — also eased, to 23.68 percent from 24.14 percent.
Federal weather forecasters said yesterday the drought appeared to be leveling off, although it was likely to continue at least through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center Forecasters previously had predicted the drought would linger through October.
Worries continue over rising food prices in the US and around the world. The US is by far the leading global corn producer and is the top producer of soybeans and wheat. All have been hit hard.
While Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said he is optimistic the US would continue meeting global demand for grain, the United Nations has warned of rising food prices.
Effects go beyond the crops themselves. Meat producers have been hurt by the rising cost of feed, and experts expect that prices of processed food on grocery store shelves will go up in coming months.
Storms rolled through swaths of the nation's midsection last week, but rainfall so late in the growing season might not meaningfully improve yield expectations that the government has downgraded for two straight months.
“Other areas, such as the Southern and Central Plains, were not as lucky and continued to dry out,” the National Climatic Data Center's Michael Brewer wrote in yesterday's update.
US drought intensifies in some key farming states
