For the first time since November 2021, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows less than 50 percent of the U.S. in some type of drought. “The current number is 49.3 percent of the lower 48 states in drought,” said Brad Rippey, meteorologist, USDA. The Northern Plains has a huge improvement in the drought conditions. “During the peak of the 2021 drought, 90 percent of U.S. sunflower production was in drought. That number is dropped to 27 percent by the end of May 2022. For durum wheat, 100 percent of the production area was in drought. That number dropped to 46 percent this year.” For the spring wheat crop, 99 percent of the production area was in drought last year and that has dropped to 25 percent.
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.