Drought conditions have improved a bit in Missouri.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor inits report out Thursday, 4.66 percent of the state is not in any level of drought compared to .24 percent last week.
2.15 percent of the state – in central Missouri – is in the worst stage known as exceptional drought.
A little more than a fifth of the state is in extreme drought. Just over half is in severe drought. Those areas include parts of Dallas and Lawrence Counties and all of Jasper County.
Missouri’s moderate drought area covers locations from Neosho to Cassville to Nixa and areas north of a line from Mount Vernon to Fort Leonard Wood. The areas of abnormally dry classification cover the rest of southwest and south central Missouri.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s website, there continue to be reports of dry ponds, dead grass, crop failures, stressed crops and reduced hay production. In Jasper County, it said Christmas Tree farms have been impacted – half of the planted trees have died. Some farmers are hauling water for livestock, supplementing feed and culling herds.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has an AgriStress helpline at 833-897-2424. The University of Missouri Extension Office has a psychological service clinic to help farmers and ranchers. Find out more at muext.us.
