NASS Data Shows Improved Pastures

OMAHA (DTN) -- While rain has made improvements overall in the pasture and range conditions, it has led to many challenges for producers who are trying to make hay.

DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick said a slow-moving front moved through the Midwest over the weekend, bringing areas of heavy rain and severe weather. This also led to flooding in areas from northern Missouri into southern Wisconsin. Heavy rain was also seen in parts of the Central Plains and continued through the Southern Plains in the early part of the week, according to Baranick.

Most of the top 10 beef cow-calf states are seeing good-to-excellent pasture and range conditions, as of Aug. 11, according to the latest USDA NASS Crop Progress and Conditions Report.. Florida leads the way with 87% of pasture and range considered good to excellent, followed by Missouri at 85%. North Dakota marked 67% of pasture and range in the good-to-excellent category, followed by Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado at 63%, 58% and 50%, respectively.

Some of these states still have drought conditions in areas adding up to more than 20% of their pasture and range. South Dakota and Colorado have 23% of pasture and range in the very-poor-to-poor category combined. Texas has 19% in these drought-type categories, while 41% are marked good to excellent.

Extreme drought continues in the Southwest states of Nevada and Arizona, with 90% of Nevada's pasture and range in the very-poor-to-poor categories and Arizona has 81% in these categories. Montana is still dealing with drought as well, with 56% of pasture and range considered very poor to poor and only 13% in the good-to-excellent categories.

Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist Mark Johnson said producers in Oklahoma have been dealing with poor weather conditions for hay baling, but once the weather permitted, the yields have been good. "From January to May, the average price of all types of hay across the U.S. had been seasonally increasing. With the majority of the country receiving ample spring and early summer moisture, May prices appear to have been the annual peak," he said. "Increased acres and good weather will limit any significant increase in the hay market this year."

See the accompanying maps for more on the changes in various states.

National Pasture and Range Conditions (48 states)

	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
48 States	10	20	31	29	10
Previous week	10	16	30	33	11
Previous year	12	20	33	28	7

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