Agricultural News
OSU's Dr. Derrell Peel says Oklahoma Drought Region Expanding Rapidly
Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:29:49 CDT
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor confirms that the drought area in Oklahoma is expanding rapidly. Over 48 percent of the state is included in the severe or worse (D2-D4) drought rating. Most dramatic of all is the jump in the percentage of the state in the worst drought category (D4 or Exceptional) from 10.32 to 32.55 percent. The percentage of the state in the worst two categories (D3-D4) increased from 33.53 percent to 41.22 percent. The drought region is confined to the middle and western areas of the state with the eastern third holding on to decent moisture conditions, according to OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist, Dr. Derrell Peel. However, in the last 30 days the majority of the state has received no more than 20-40 percent of normal precipitation and the drought boundary is moving back to the east.
Rains in late April and early May provided some relief, particularly in the middle part of the state, and appeared to be moving the drought boundary farther west. Though the La Niña effects appeared to be weakening at that time, improved moisture conditions in the middle part of the state proved to be no match for recent hot and windy conditions as shown by the current expansion in drought ratings. Producers face not only the continuing lack of production due to drought but also the threat of fires that may wipe out existing hay and forage stocks.
Across the region extreme drought effects are increasingly evident. Weekly range and pasture condition ratings in Oklahoma and Texas showed 63 percent in the poor and very poor category. Drought conditions are expanding rapidly in the southeast as well with the percent of poor and very poor conditions increasing from less than 10 percent at the beginning of May to over 33 percent the last two weeks. USDA reported that hay stocks in both Oklahoma and Texas on May 1 were above the previous five year average. However, these hay stocks are likely being exhausted rapidly and hay production will be sharply lower than average this year. Limited forage will be a threat through next winter even if drought conditions ease late in the growing season.
The lack of forage this spring has increasing impacts on the cattle industry. Since April 1, beef cow slaughter in federal region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) is 125 percent of the same period last year. This increase in region accounts for the 6 percent increase in entire country for the same period. Beef cow slaughter in the remainder of the country is down nearly one percent during this same period. Continued drought conditions in the southern plains and expanding drought conditions in the southeast have the potential to result in significant additional beef cow culling in coming weeks.
Our thanks to Dr. Peel for this latest analysis of the beef cattle marketplace- it's a part of the weekly Cow Calf Corner electronic newsletter that Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk of OSU produce on most Mondays.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
