More than half of U.S. winter wheat is under drought

More than half of the U.S. winter wheat crop is under drought conditions and farmers in wheat-growing regions worldwide face a similar scenario, according to U.S. Wheat Associates, the overseas marketing arm for the industry. About 52% of U.S. winter wheat is currently in drought, compared to 16% in June, said Steve Mercer, U.S. Wheat vice president of communications. “When we look ahead to 2025 now, those dryness concerns are starting to pick up again,” Mercer said. Nearly all other wheat-exporting countries — Russia, Canada, Argentina and Kazakhstan — also appear to be dry, he said. Australia is about normal after several years of above-average rain, Mercer said. “We’ve got to keep watching the weather throughout the world,” Mercer said. “We’re in a very dry period again, which is discouraging in terms of production. It’s just something everybody’s going to have to watch.” For the Pacific Northwest, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s weekly crop progress report ...