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Minnesota Ag Commissioner concerned about worsening drought

The Commissioner of Agriculture for Minnesota is concerned about worsening drought conditions in his state.

Thom Petersen tells Brownfield dryness has been an issue in northwest Minnesota for quite a while.

“But if you look at the drought monitor every Thursday like I do, you can see a natural progressive worsening for the last month where more and more of our counties are getting into these stages of D1 and D2.”

He says more than 20 counties are now classified in the D2 severe drought stage and many crops are being affected.

“Could be canning crops (like) sweet corn, could be the hay crop. I know farmers who have had to plow under their wheat crop in western Minnesota. Of course the corn is really stunting in different areas where it should be growing.”

Petersen says livestock producers should be thinking ahead about forage needs and recommends crop farmers who anticipate losses reach out to their insurance agents about what needs to be documented.