Drought takes toll on Missouri farmers’ crops, cattle

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Parts of Missouri are so dry that corn crops are suffering and hay for cattle is in short supply, as water becomes increasingly scarce.

Missouri has had below-average rainfall since winter. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that nearly all of Missouri is experiencing drought, with several counties in northern and southwestern parts of the state especially hard-hit.

Much of the western U.S. is also experiencing drought. But Missouri is the only Midwestern state with such severe conditions.

It’s troublesome for Missouri farmers who compete with farmers in neighboring states such as Nebraska and Illinois, which are mostly drought-free.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says soil moisture is below normal in four-fifths of Missouri.