I always look forward to getting my weekly copy of the Crop Progress and Condition Report from the U.S Department of Agriculture, Alabama Field Office. Some revealing facts:
*95 percent of Alabama now has short or very short soil moisture.
* 5% was all that was adequate
* 74% of the pasture and range acreage was in poor or very poor condition.
* 22% was fair
* 4 percent was good.
* 40% of the corn crop is in very poor condition
* 37% was poor.
* 21% was fair
* 2% was all that was rated good.
In Madison County, non-irrigated corn is believed to be a total loss. The Easter freeze killed the first planting and the drought wiped out the second planting. Some crops have not even been planted, because of the lack of soil moisture. In Autauga County, the corn crop is rated as essentially lost.
* 62% of the statewide cotton crop is in poor to very poor condition.
* 20% of the soybean crop was rated in fair condition and 4% good. The rest was in poor or very poor condition.
Some acreage of soybeans and peanuts are not being planted because of the drought.
RAIN DEFICIENCY REPORTS
The Department of Agriculture tabulates the rainfall for 34 locations around the state each week giving the total, the deficiency and also the total and deficiency for the year to date. Here are some examples:
* 9.67 inches at Anniston Airport, a deficiency of 16.66
* 9.73 inches at Russellville, a deficiency of 17.42
* 8.68 inches at Gadsden Airport, a deficiency of 18.82 (the worst deficiency reported in the state)
* 8.97 inches at Thorsby, a deficiency of 17.88
* 9.07 inches at Marion Junction, a deficiency of 16.97
* 14.84 at Headland, a deficiency of 11.14
* 10.74 inches at Talladega, a deficiency of 17.13
* 10.32 inches at Alabaster, a deficiency of 17.73
EXTREME SOUTH ALABAMA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BETTER
* 20.07 inches at Geneva, a deficiency of only 4.03 inches
* 17.15 inches at Eufaula, a deficiency of 7.00
* 24.84 inches at Brewton, a deficiency of 3.32 (the best reported)
