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Drought worsens throughout key U.S. farming regions

Severe drought conditions continue to affect water supplies, crop health and soil quality.

Jan14 2025 Us Drought Monitor Map
Courtesy National Drought Mitigation Center

The January 14 U.S. Drought Monitor report, a collaborative effort from the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said severe drought conditions are sweeping across key farming areas of the United States, threatening to disrupt crop and livestock production as well as supplies of food and regional economies.

Recent analysis indicates worsening drought across southern California, the Southwest and parts of the High Plains. Southern California — the nation's largest hub for fruits, vegetables and nuts — is off to its driest start to the water year on record, with drying reservoirs and vegetation threatened by persistent Santa Ana winds and wildfires.

In Texas, the Edwards Plateau is also experiencing increased severe (D2) and extreme (D3) drought levels, further stressing cattle ranchers and wheat farmers who have been struggling with low water availability and degraded pastures.

In the Southeast, strengthening drought on the Florida Peninsula and eastern North Carolina is increasing water stress and degrading soil conditions, and may well reduce crop yields this season.

In contrast, minor easing of drought conditions occurred in the central and northern Midwest; this relief is not expected to positively impact winter crops or restore soil moisture to a level sufficient for the next growing season.

In this drought advance, the impacts are multidimensional, such as affecting soil health and the amount of water that may be available, but also increasing the cost of irrigation, lowering crop yields and competition for scarce water. To many farmers, these factors add to existing economic pressures and raise concerns over the sustainability of agricultural practices under shifting climate patterns.

Going forward, the Climate Prediction Center expects below-average precipitation for much of the western U.S. through late January, further degrading conditions across the already hard-hit drought region. The agricultural sector will be obliged to respond promptly to the changed environmental setting, and more innovative water management, coupled with resilient crop strategies, will become increasingly imperative. Meanwhile, as farming communities continue to be afflicted by droughts, it points out that the way forward is to ensure food security and economic stability in the country through addressing climate resilience.        

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