The amount of US corn and soybean production being impacted by drought has fallen to its lowest in almost two years, following wetter Midwest weather this past week.
Based on the weekly US drought monitor released Thursday, the amount of corn production impacted by drought fell to 19% as of Tuesday, down 4 points on the week and the lowest since June 2022. Soybean production impacted by drought dipped an identical 4 points from the previous week to 17%, also the lowest since June 2022.
According to the drought monitor, most of the Midwest saw at least a half inch of rain, with parts of Missouri getting anywhere from 2 to 5 inches. Widespread improvements to ongoing drought occurred in Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, with a few areas of two-category improvements occurring in west-central Missouri where some of the highest rainfall amounts fell, the monitor said.
On a regional basis, just over 18% of the Midwest was being impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday, down from 23.3% a week earlier and the lowest since late May 2023.
In No. 1 corn producer Iowa, drought is now impacting less than half of the state (49.8%), down from 58% the previous week and the lowest since June 2023. However, the amount of extreme drought in the state at 2.4% was little changed from a week earlier.
As for Missouri, where this past week’s heaviest rains fell, that portion of the state impacted by drought fell about 20 points to just 20%.
Meanwhile, weather forecasts suggest further drought improvement on the horizon – but perhaps limited planting – with regular showers across the Midwest over the next week to 10 days. A report Thursday from World Weather said an end to the unsettled weather could come as early as late next week, with a ridge of high pressure bringing some cooler, but generally drier conditions that will allow fieldwork to ramp back up.
