Winter weather and drought have hit the wheat crop of the Central Plains particularly hard this year, with an exceptional drought causing terribly dry conditions and frequent freezes and snowfalls stunting or injuring the young plants. According to a story this week in AgWeb,”U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest crop progress report is painting a grim picture for Kansas wheat this year with 13 percent rated good to excellent, and 44 percent is considered poor to very poor. Nationally, it’s the second worst crop since records began in 1986.” Low wheat prices are just adding insult to injury for the farmers there. You can read the full story here.

Stop along the Wheat Quality Council’s crop tour of Kansas.
© Megan Durisin, Bloomberg