The interests of the American Farm Bureau Agriculture, the insurance company and lobbying group representing the US Agriculture Service.
The drought situation this year is more severe than last year as 37% of
farmers said they were plowing and withering existing crops that were not mature due to dry conditions. That's a 24% increase from last year, according to the survey.
July
was the third warmest on record in the United States and ranked among the top ten in every western state except Montana, according to the National Center for Environmental Information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, which ended the week of August 6, stated that "rapidly increasing drought will hit the central and southern plains and the Mid-South, reducing topsoil moisture, , and the burden of various summer crops ”.
The AFBF estimates that nearly 60% of him in the Western, Southern and Central Plains will be hit by more than severe drought this year.
“The effects of this drought will be felt for years to come by farmers and ranchers as well as consumers. They had to make the devastating choice of destroying fruit trees that had been growing for years. A study found that removing trees and perennial crops due to drought impacts future earnings, with 33% of all U.S. farmers saying they should do the same. , which is almost double that of last year.
Herd Sale Extreme drought is forcing
farmers in Texas to sell their herds earlier than usual because water sources are drying up and grass is burning. Farmers in Lone Star state reported a 50% reduction in herd size, compared with 43% and 41% respectively in New Mexico and Oregon.
David Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University, told CNN last month:
Access to water for livestock was a key issue for farmers and ranchers this year. 57% of farmers report local water use restrictions, compared to 50% of farmers last year.
Major water sources, such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at less than 30% of their maximum capacity, but typically supply 5.5 million acres in seven western states, according to the AFBF.
On Tuesday, the federal government announced that the Colorado River will operate with a Tier 2 shortage for the first time since January. This means Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will have to further reduce their water consumption from the Colorado River.
High inflation is making it difficult for ranchers to conserve their land. The cost of diesel is coming down, but it's still expensive, so hauling extra water to trucks is significantly more expensive than it has been in years past. Prices for pasture, crop fertilizers and animal feed also remain high.
Consumer Impact
According to the report, US consumers are expected to spend more on certain foods due to the drought.
“In the case of cattle and beef, [price increases] can take six months to a year or more, as surplus animals sent to slaughterhouses are marketed and breeding herds are reduced. If it's a specialty product, you can pick it up quickly," says Daniel Munch, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, farmers were forced to either abandon their plantings or destroy their orchards. This will result in "American consumers paying more for these goods, relying partially on foreign supplies or purchasing fewer types of goods in stores," the report said.
California, for example, produces 80% of the world's almond supply, limiting other places US consumers can buy the popular nut. Also, changing where almonds grow is not easy. Because crops require specific climates and soils.
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