Record-setting drought and high temperatures will have a long-range effect on agriculture. Seventy percent of rangeland and pastures in Texas were rated to be in very poor condition, indicating total or near total crop loss and an absence of grazing for animals.

Crop values are higher this year than in previous years because of increased demand and less abundant supplies, and are pushing crops losses even higher.  

Having shattered the record last week for consecutive days of 100-plus degree temperatures, coupled with little to no rainfall, agriculture faces a long, hard road to recovery. Waco Regional Airport rainfall accumulation totals back to October 2010 indicate the area is from 15 to 19 inches below normal rainfall for this period.

The official reporting location for McLennan County recorded 11.03 inches since Jan. 1. But I have recorded a mere 6.9 inches at my house during that same time.  Regardless of where you live in McLennan County, the land is dry.  

The drought for our area really started last October and we have not reached normal rainfall totals since then. The 10-year annual rainfall average for our area is about 33.33 inches.

From January to July this year, we are 8.54 inches below our yearly average. But if you look back to October 2010, we are 14.76 inches below our normal rainfall since October.

So we need more than 22 inches to reach our yearly rainfall total. To meet half of our normal yearly total, we need 5.63 inches.

Forty-one percent of our rain normally falls August through late December. If that occurs, we would receive around 13 inches. Doesn’t that sound nice.

Cows and hay

There is still an inflated number of cows being sold at the livestock auctions.  

A lot of those keeper kind of cows are being shipped to Kentucky and Georgia, back northeast, with a few going into feedlots and the rest going to slaughter.

 There is a forecast of 300,000 cows going to slaughter and cow slaughter is up by 100,000 head, year to date.

It will rain sometime, but it is going to take a prolonged rain to help pastures rebound. A large runoff-type rain would fill tanks and help recharge groundwater, but it would also lead to erosion issues.

It takes hundreds of years to build an inch of topsoil and inches of topsoil would wash away if we had a large rain.

Hay prices continue to rise.  Coastal (if you can find it) is asking the highest premium.

The majority of corn and milo fields in the area have been baled for hay. There may be stacks of hay in a field, but much of that has already been sold. There are local producers buying out of state hay for $40 to 45 a roll.

But trucking also is also $40 to $50, resulting in hay at $80 to $95 a roll.

Wild animals

Depleted water sources could lead wild animals to approach residential areas for food and water, bringing the animals into contact with domestic pets.

There were 591 rabies cases, according to preliminary state records. Last year, there were 387 statewide for the same time period.

A relief from the heat with cool weather and rain would help many things.

Shane McLellan, a county extension agent for more than 13 years, serves as the agriculture agent for McLennan County. Send email to s-mclellan@tamu.edu.