U.S. Drought Nears 2012 Record, Planting Concerns Continue

The extreme drought impacting much of the Western U.S. last year is growing in severity as 2022 continues. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, U.S. farmers and ranchers are now experiencing the worst drought since 2012. A recent report showed more than 61% of the U.S. is in a drought classification, the largest percentage in 10 years. Yesterday, we highlighted the impact of this historic drought on beef cattle inventories, however, looming concerns also remain for growers gearing up for planting season as well.

In the last month alone, the percentage of drought increased from 55% to more than 61%, an area equal to 170,000 square miles greater than the size of California.

Read more on U.S. drought concerns here.