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Crop farmers could benefit from El Niño through spring

An agricultural meteorologist says El Niño is still intensifying.

Jeff Andresen with Michigan State University says farmers may have already seen impacts of a stronger El Niño this year with increased precipitation. He tells Brownfield while some areas will have above normal yields, others were adversely affected.

“It’s expected to reach its peak intensity here later this fall and continue on into the winter, then probably dissipate by next spring.”

Andresen says that means warmer and drier conditions during in the winter, less heating expenses and less stress for livestock.

“We might get an earlier than normal start at fieldwork and getting back into the 2016 growing season.”

El Niño is expected to transition into La Niña over the spring. Andresen says that may also mean adverse conditions and lack of rainfall in the Midwest.

“A lot can happen between now and then, but it has happened in the past.”

Andresen says as El Niño continues heading into harvest, farmers should expect drier and cooler than normal weather.

AUDIO: Interview with Jeff Andresen (8:40 mp3):