Widespread Drought Conditions
Latest NASS Data Shows Declining Pasture Conditions
OMAHA (DTN) -- Drought conditions persist for much of the United States, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service report for the week ended Oct. 13.
Pasture conditions overall show a continual increase in the very poor and poor conditions across the lower 48 states with 21% marked very poor and 28% marked poor as compared to 20% and 26%, respectively, last week and 16% and 21% for the same categories last year.
Many states have seen the shift from good to excellent pastures to very poor and poor conditions. In the Southwest, several states have shifted to the dryer side. Leading was New Mexico with an increase of 10 points on the very poor to poor category with 50% of pastures here, while showing 14 points fewer in the good-to-excellent category at 20%.
Several Midwestern states have also seen more pastureland in the very-poor-to-poor category. Missouri has moved 16 points higher in the declined conditions to have 33% of pastures marked there and 12 fewer points in the good-to-excellent category at 29%. Iowa also has seen a shift of 9 points more in very poor to poor at 33% and 8 points fewer on the positive side at 30%.
Nebraska and South Dakota have had a slight move in the very poor to poor pastures with a 2- and 5-point shift, resulting in 44% and 53% of rangeland marked in this category.
Colorado continues to show a shift in conditions as well with 8 points fewer rated as good to excellent at 30% and 10 points more in the very-poor-to-poor category at 37%.
The Delta states of Mississippi and Alabama have seen recent dry conditions with 8 points fewer in the good-to-excellent category in Mississippi at 32% and 1 point fewer in Alabama at 41%. This has meant a larger percentage of pastureland rated as very poor to poor, with Mississippi seeing an increase of 11 points at 29% and Alabama having 7 points more at 22%.
Online users can click on the accompanying maps to see changes in various states.
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National Pasture and Range Conditions (48 states)
| Very poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent | |
| 48 States | 21 | 28 | 29 | 19 | 3 |
| Previous week | 20 | 26 | 29 | 20 | 5 |
| Previous year | 16 | 21 | 30 | 28 | 5 |
| * Data from USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report. | |||||
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