US farmers face 15% wheat production fall after extreme weather losses
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 8
US farmers face 15% wheat production fall after extreme weather losses
14 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 8
Kansas output is estimated at 200-220 million bushels, versus a 10-year average of 317 million, while some growers are abandoning fields entirely.
Kansas and Oklahoma had exceptionally warm conditions, with March temperatures 10-11F above normal, worsening drought and leaving 44% of Kansas and 49% of Oklahoma wheat rated poor or very poor.
Experts say reduced acreage, low profitability and possible abandonment will cut harvests, though supplies remain buffered by last year's bumper crop despite the lowest US wheat seedings since 1919.
America's wheat crop is failing. Why might your bread prices not skyrocket immediately?
As 'once-in-a-century' droughts become common, are traditional farming methods in America’s breadbasket now obsolete?
Extreme Drought and Wildfires Devastate 2026 U.S. Wheat Belt, Triggering Food Security and Market Turmoil
Overview
In spring 2026, severe drought and unseasonable warmth devastated the U.S. Great Plains, causing poor winter wheat conditions and widespread crop damage worsened by damaging spring freezes. These extreme weather events fueled record wildfires that destroyed over a million acres of grazing land, intensifying the forage crisis and pushing the cattle industry toward historic lows. The agricultural emergency triggered volatile wheat markets, soaring fertilizer prices due to geopolitical conflicts disrupting supply chains, and rising feed costs. Farmers responded by cutting fertilizer use, switching to drought-tolerant crops, and culling herds. This multifaceted crisis highlights urgent needs for water infrastructure investment, resilient farming practices, and coordinated policy to safeguard food security amid escalating climate and economic pressures.