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Farmers watching the clock for drought buster

Some Midwestern farmers say that drought has improved this winter, but substantial relief could be weeks away.  

Jay Reiners is chairmen of the Nebraska Corn Board and says his area has had some snow. “But, that doesn’t break a drought. The drought won’t get broken until we get rains in April and May.  That’s always a double-edged sword.  We want rain, but we don’t wan too much rain.  It sure can rain in June and July.” 

Iowa Corn Growers Association President Dennis Friest says he’s concerned about weather-related planting delays.  “Now, they’re talking about La Nina being replaced by El Nino and that could mean a wetter summer.” 

Clay Schemm is a farmer with the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and says the drought is entering it’s third year despite some snow.  “Not as much as we’d like.  A lot of our subsoil moisture has been depleted.”  

The latest Drought Monitor shows that the majority Great Plains region remains in some classification of drought.  

 The farmers spoke with Brownfield during the 2023 Commodity Classic.