USDA expands drought disaster designation in Nebraska as dry conditions persist

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 13 additional Nebraska counties as drought disasters, making farmers in those counties eligible to apply for federal loan assistance.

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USDA expands drought disaster designation to 13 more Nebraska counties as dry conditions persist

LINCOLN, Neb. —

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 13 additional Nebraska counties as drought disasters, making farmers in those counties eligible to apply for federal loan assistance.

The designation comes as much of Nebraska remains in drought despite some improvement in eastern areas.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, nearly 84% of the state is experiencing some level of drought.

“Some of those areas just have not picked up much of any precipitation,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center.

While about 62% of Nebraska remains in severe drought, conditions have improved over the past three months. The amount of the state classified in extreme drought has fallen from 57% to 22%.

“We have seen some easing of that drought,” Fuchs said. “And again, that’s been the wetter May and June that we’ve seen even into July.”

The latest USDA designation expands access to emergency loans for producers affected by drought. It also underscores the persistence of Nebraska’s dry conditions, now stretching into a sixth year — one of the longest-running drought periods since the National Drought Mitigation Center began tracking conditions.

“Just continually have built this deficit up. And at some point, you know, we’re just not getting that moisture back,” Fuchs said. “Then there becomes more concerns of, you know, are we depleting our groundwater resources too rapidly?”

The prolonged drought continues to strain Nebraska agriculture. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue said it’s leaving a scar on the state’s cattle herds.

“We’re still dry out west. And so we still have some liquidation going on, which is really, really difficult conversations,” McHargue said.

Crop producers are also seeing yield losses as high temperatures stress corn and soybean fields during the growing season.

Fuchs warned that if drought conditions persist into the fall, Nebraska could again face an elevated wildfire threat during harvest.

“We’ve seen it the last couple of years during the harvest time, too. All it takes is a dry, windy day and one spark off of a piece of machinery,” Fuchs said. “And we see big problems in a hurry.”

Local Farm Service Agency offices can provide affected farmers with additional information.

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