More Drought Than Last Year

30 Oct 2024

By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Widespread drought conditions continue across the country and are more severe than last year, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service report for the week ending Oct. 28.

Even with very few major shifts in pasture and range conditions across the country, moisture is lacking across much of the U.S.

New Mexico saw the largest shift out of the good-to-excellent pasture and range conditions with 17 points fewer in this category at 18%. North Carolina had 15 points fewer ranked good to excellent at 56%. This could be due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The cattle-producing states have been dealing with dry conditions for several months. This has led to less hay production and higher fire risk.

Good-to-excellent pastures in Oklahoma have decreased by 9 points to bring this category to 7%. There is a 1-point increase in very-poor-to-poor range conditions in Oklahoma, marking them at 52%. South Dakota has seen an 8-point decrease in good-to-excellent conditions with 16% of the pastures being noted in that category, and 54% in very-poor-to-poor conditions.

There hasn't been much shift in pasture conditions in Nebraska and Texas, but they mark the highest number in very-poor-to-poor conditions in the cattle region with both at 63%.

South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas also show movement of more in the very-poor-to-poor conditions, with 54%, 47% and 46%, respectively. Iowa saw a shift of 10 points to get to that mark, with 3 points fewer in the good-to-excellent category at 19%.

Overall, the contiguous 48 states show 24% of pastures ranked very poor, 27% ranked poor, 30% as fair, 17% at good, and only 2% rated excellent. When compared to the same time last year, it shows drought conditions continue to plague the nation's pasture and range conditions.

National Pasture and Range Conditions (48 states)