Pasture Land Conditions and Weather Forecast

Pasture Land Conditions and Weather Forecast

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

National Ag Statistics Services weekly Crop Weather reported the following for last week’s range and pasture land conditions.

In Washington Range and pasture conditions were 33 percent very poor to poor, 60 percent from fair to good, and 7 percent excellent. Idaho reported their range and pasture conditions at 57 percent very poor to poor, 43 percent fair to good with none being reported as excellent. Oregon is faring the worst among the Pacific Northwest with 62 percent of the state’s range and pasture conditions rated very poor to poor, 38 percent rated fair to good and none reported as excellent.

How does this compare to the rest of the country? Well the national average is more than half of this country’s pasture land is rated very poor to poor. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey shares Nebraska has the poorest pasture land with 97 percent being rated poor to very poor.

Rippey: “Also with some very high numbers, we’ve seen California drying out as the summer and autumn have gone on now at 90 percent and also Wyoming at 87 percent, New Mexico 86 percent. Very high on the list is Colorado not to far behind with 85 percent poor to very poor.”

Rippey shares next week’s forecast.

Rippey: “So we are looking at wet weather in the East and Pacific Northwest and in the latter region that should be especially of benefit to the winter wheat situation there.”

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Ag Information Network.