Conditions in Oklahoma are deteriorating in line with those of the ‘Dust Bowl’ that ravaged the Great Plains in the 1930’s. U.S. officials have cut their rating one again for the U.S. winter wheat crop citing that Oklahoma plants are at their worst condition since 1996 and Kansas, the biggest wheat producing state in the country, forecasts the worst crop in 18 years. Winter wheat rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ were, Oklahoma, 6%, Texas, 13%, Kansas, 17%, Colorado, 31%, Washington, 40%, for an overall country-wide rating of ‘good’ or above of 31%. Drought, high heat, and low humidity continue to cause problems and temperature extremes in Oklahoma have contributed to a rating of 73% of the state’s wheat crop being considered ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
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