HUTCHINSON, Kan. — April 18, 2025 — A lack of significant rainfall across Kansas wheat country for nearly five months is putting intense pressure on crops, prompting concern from farmers and agricultural officials alike.
According to the Kansas Wheat Commission, only 43% of the state’s wheat crop is now rated in good to excellent condition, down from 48% earlier this week and 51% last week. Producers are warning that without immediate relief in the form of measurable rainfall, the situation is likely to deteriorate further.
“Right now, we’re just evaporating everything we get,” said John Jenkinson, an Ag Lending Banker and farmer from western Kansas. “We had 90-plus degrees and wind gusts over 50 miles per hour yesterday. It doesn’t take long for that to take whatever moisture we have and send it back into the atmosphere.”
Farmers say they need around one to two inches of rain every two weeks to maintain the crop, but that hasn’t happened since late fall. While parts of southern Kansas near the Oklahoma border saw up to four-tenths of an inch during storms earlier this month, most of the state remains moisture-deficient.
“We’re in a deficit,” Jenkinson added. “Wheat that looked hopeful a few weeks ago is starting to decline. If we don’t get rain soon, we’re going to lose ground fast.”
Beyond wheat, other crops like dryland alfalfa are also suffering. A producer near Great Bend told Jenkinson that last week’s light showers weren’t enough to sustain his fields for long.
He told Jenkinson, “We got a little rain, but it’s already gone, my alfalfa’s in trouble.”
The dry conditions come at a critical time as farmers begin planting corn and prepare for soybeans. While irrigated fields in counties like Greeley are seeing corn go into the ground, dryland fields remain too parched to support planting.
“Earlier in the year, we had a decent soil profile from last fall’s rains,” Jenkinson explained. “But we’ve dried out the top layer so much, we can’t access that moisture anymore. We need rainfall now to make the soil meet that reserve.”
The drought is also impacting livestock producers, as pastures fail to produce enough forage amid soaring cattle prices. Many are being forced to pull cattle off wheat fields early in search of better grazing conditions.
Weather forecasts suggest a potential for rain over the weekend and into early next week, along with a slight cooling trend. Farmers are hopeful, but cautious.
“It’ll help some,” Jenkinson said. “But we’re going to need more than a sprinkle. We need a soaking rain to give this crop — and our livelihoods — a fighting chance.”