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A dry winter, El Niño and the warmest winter temperatures on record are contributing to ongoing dry conditions across the Midwest.
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Huge swaths of Missouri and Kansas have continued to be stuck in a months-long drought.
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“What we really need is a cold, wet and snowy winter to help recharge this river,” said one climatologist.
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The corn and soybean crops in Missouri and Illinois are in better condition because of the recent rain, meaning it didn’t come too late in the growing season to make a difference.
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Growing interest rates, high crop prices and rising transportation costs are making it more expensive to store grain — a critical step for many farmers. Economists and grain merchandisers say the market conditions leave them and farmers in an awkward place.
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Changing rainfall amounts, soil conditions and river levels all complicate the situation, which kicked off with a stretch of dryness this spring.
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the U.S Drought Monitor show that the percentage of abnormally dry conditions increased from 7.5% to slightly above 93%
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Also in response to the drought, Wentzville issued a voluntary water conservation declaration that takes effect Monday.
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The United Nations has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets — a type of small grain mostly grown in parts of Asia and Africa. The highly resilient and cost-friendly grains could make them the next crop for U.S. farmers in the midst of climate change.
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Think of this year’s drought as a sort of dress rehearsal to consider the drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting droughts could alter the way we live.