With winter mostly behind us, farmers are preparing to take to the field for planting season.
One meteorologist says that farmers in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will likely face a very active pattern this month leading into April.
BAM Weather consultant Bret Walts says that many Midwest farmers may be hard-pressed to find consistent dry periods to get into the fields.
The Climate Prediction Center backs that, showing above-average changes for precipitation for the eastern Corn Belt on both the one and three-month outlooks.
However, moving farther west, things look drier. States like Nebraska, South Dakota, western Iowa, and Oklahoma anticipate worsening drought conditions.
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The total value of the U.S. potato crop was $4.60 billion in 2024, representing an 8% decrease from the previous year.
Crop-specific shifts and strong prices highlight the variability of this year’s fruit and tree nut harvest, according to USDA data.
The USDA noted that peanut edible utilization season-to-date is down 3% on the year, despite overall stocks increasing.
“Those could’ve easily been our beans going over there. It goes to show that if that opportunity is there, China would be willing to buy.”
U.S. Farmers Navigate Harvest Pace, Costs, Policy Shifts
