Feb. 25, 2022

Drought Conditions Expected to Continue

Three Big Weather Factors for 2022 U.S. Crop Season

Glyphosate Plays Catch Up

‘Are Input Price Increases Justified?’

2022 USDA Commodity Outlook Report Released

2021 Cotton Quality Summary

In Case You Missed It

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Texas are experiencing severe or extreme drought, especially in the Panhandle region and parts of West Texas.

“Compared to my farm’s rainfall totals last year, I am minus 8 inches for the year,” said Jeremy Brown, producer in Dawson County. “That’s how dry it is right now.”

While West Texas weather is unpredictable at times, meteorologists are confident these dry conditions will extend deep into the spring. Jody James, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS) in Lubbock attributes much of the drought conditions to La Niña.

“We had a break from (La Niña) last summer for a couple of months,” he told the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. “But we look at the three-month moving averages, and 15 of the last 17 sessions have been in La Niña.”

Current drought conditions posed a fire risk for more of the Texas Panhandle on Monday and Tuesday of this week, which is likely to continue most of 2022.

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Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist with Nutrien Ag Solutions, identifies three big weather players in the 2022 crop season during the Top Producer Summit held Feb. 16th in Nashville, Tenn.

No. 1: Drought in Brazil

Brazil’s commodity output is significant enough that its current drought conditions are capable of upending production numbers and influencing market scales, according to Farm Journal.

No. 2 Drought in the Plains

As of now, 72% of the U.S. is in at least a minimal stage of drought — the highest percentage since 2012.

No. 3: Ocean Temperatures in the Pacific

Ocean temperatures are a symptom of the behavior of the atmosphere. If the cold water presently in the Gulf of Alaska expands south to California by June 1st , the 38% risk of drought in the middle of the U.S. goes to 60%.

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Hurricane Ida disabled the Bayer glyphosate plant in September.

China bans exports into June while hosting the Winter Olympics.

A supplier of an ingredient for glyphosate experienced a mechanical failure.

Combined with shipping and logistics issues, glyphosate shortage stories have dominated agricultural news outlets. However, the shortage divide is closing according to Mike Massey, with pesticide manufacturer Ragan & Massey.

In September, the world’s acid production necessary for glyphosate was less than 5%, he said. “But in the past 60 to 90 days, plants have been online and shipping hard,” he added. “So, as I see it, we may have a week here or there where inventory is interrupted, but it’ll get resolved. Unless another one of these crazy things happens, we won’t have any supply issues.”

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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack put the question of input price increases to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) February 17th, requesting an investigation.

The DOJ said it was undertaking a new initiative aimed at ensuring companies weren’t taking advantage of the supply chain snags by raising prices on consumers, said Progressive Farmer DTN Staff Reporter Todd Neeley.

The DOJ asks for anyone with information on “price fixing, bid rigging, market-allocation agreements or other anticompetitive conduct” to call in a report to the Antitrust Division Citizen Complain Center at 1-888-647-3258.

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2022 USDA Commodity Outlook Report Released

The 2022 Commodity Outlook Report was released at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Ag Outlook Forum on Thursday.

Read the full report here.

The following is a summary of the cotton classed at the Lubbock and Lamesa USDA Cotton Division Cotton Classing Offices for the 2021 production season.

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