Kansas wheat crop could be worst since 1972 because of weather extremes

Key Points:

• Severe drought and extreme weather conditions have led to the smallest U.S. wheat crop since 1972, with production expected to drop from 1.56 billion bushels in 2024 to 1.05 billion bushels in 2025, severely impacting key producers like Kansas.
• Kansas farmers report 58% of their wheat crop is rated “poor” or “very poor,” with many facing significant losses due to drought, disease spread, and rising input costs for fertilizer, diesel, and tariffs.
• The accelerated growth of wheat caused by dry conditions has resulted in poor crop quality, and abandonment rates have risen to over 32% nationally, with about 17% abandonment in Kansas alone.
• Farmers are struggling with increased operational costs, including diesel fuel prices nearly $2 higher per gallon than last year, and fertilizer costs rising from $400 to $600-$700 per ton, making profitability uncertain.
• Limited options exist for mitigating losses this late in the season, as crop insurance provides only partial relief and switching crops or allowing land to lie fallow is not feasible due to lack of soil moisture and timing constraints.