Drought Continues To Hurt Wheat Crop

Drought conditions continue to take a toll on the Kansas wheat crop as more acres of land slip beyond hope of significant harvest.

The Kansas regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency says farmers have collected insurance on about 90,000 acres, largely in western Kansas.

Rebecca Davis has toured several fields to assess damage. She said dry conditions were so overwhelming that thousands of acres were being released each week for other uses.

The Kansas Agricultural Statistic Service says more than half the wheat crop is in poor condition.

About 60 percent of Kansas is in a moderate to exceptional drought as measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The remainder of Kansas is considered abnormally dry.