September 15, 2023

As Temperatures Fall, the Corn Belt Takes Stock of Drought's Toll on Crops, Cattle, and Logistics 

The Corn Belt experienced its fifth hottest and driest week in over 30 years during the first week of September, causing considerable damage to the Midwest's corn crop. Farmers in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri are experiencing the impact of high temperatures. The latest USDA crop report rates national corn conditions as 52% good to excellent, down 6 points in two weeks, with Kansas' and Missouri's being the worst-rated. The report also found that the national rate of corn reaching maturity has almost doubled from the prior week. 

Cattle in feedlots in the Midwest are also vulnerable to elevated temperatures. To ensure the well-being of the cattle, temperatures in feedlots should be in the mid-60s for around five hours at night during hot periods, allowing the animals to cool down. However, if the temperature remains in the 90s for four days and nights are in the 70s, it could lead to fatal consequences.  

Pastures and rangelands have also been affected by the drought. The USDA has reported that, by the beginning of September, over 60% of pastures and ranges in Minnesota and 46% in Iowa were in poor to very poor condition. In recent years, many cattle states like Nebraska and Kansas have experienced persistent drought that has caused grazing pastures to dry out. Consequently, ranchers have been forced to reduce the size of their herds instead of purchasing costly hay to feed their livestock.  

Logistics could also experience setbacks due to the drought. The Mississippi River is facing a critical situation this year with lower levels, leading to worries about costly shipping delays for the second consecutive year. Last fall, the drought caused severe water shortages in certain parts of the Mississippi that had not been seen in years, with estimated losses of $20 billion. As the harvest season for this year approaches, the river is again receding. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, most of the Mississippi is expected to experience low water levels in September, impacting industry and navigation. 

Despite the severity of the drought and questions about why early summer forecasts might have been wrong, the weather should cooperate for most of the Midwest with cooler temperatures and no expectations of excessive rainfall as harvest activities ramp up in mid-September. The second week of September 2023 was expected to be the ninth coolest in more than 30 years for the Corn Belt, with transient hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms that should not affect fieldwork activities. 

USDA Updates: The USDA (1) released September's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), (2) reported a change in the distribution of irrigated acreage, with a shift towards the east, and (3) released the latest farm income and wealth statistics report. 

Sweets: A project is repurposing discarded chocolate and other sweets into a “candy meal” to feed farm animals.