The drought monitor report as of Tuesday, Dec. 24 is unchanged from last week. The six to 10-day outlook (Dec. 31 to Jan. 4) indicates a near normal for temperatures and precipitation. The eight to 14-day outlook (Jan. 2 to 8) indicates near normal for temperatures and a 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation.
Last week was a review of some of the top Ag stories for 2024. Today, what are some of the more like major stories for 2025 on agriculture? Just some and with a focus on Kansas.
• For Kansas, especially the western two-thirds, the groundwater issue will continue to be front and center. We will know in a month or so from the Kansas Geological Survey how well levels fared, but they are expected to have declined further. 2024 has seen renewed concern from all parties but what will it translate into. Many are focused on the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and area irrigators but the reality is this is being played out across the state. This is an old dilemma that goes back decades. K-State did a great deal of work in the 1990s with WaterPack and GMD 5 and made recommendations but then we entered a wet spell.
• The weather is always a concern in the Great Plains and 2025 is no exception. We are in much better shape than this time a year ago but the long-term outlook is fuzzy at best. And it appears 2024 will be the warmest year for the planet on record. On the plus side, the 2025 wheat crop overall is much, much better now than over the last few years.
• One more state of Kansas item is the even larger super-majorities in Topeka. With further tax cuts on the agenda, what effect will this have for all levels of government and for K-State serving its research an extension mission?
• Something more nationwide is we enter 2025 with a new President and with the GOP in control of the House and Senate. For everyone, not just agriculture, Congress has until mid-March before the latest continuing resolution expires. Just prior to Christmas they did provide some aid to producers (ten billion dollars) but it’s a drop in the bucket. In particular trouble are producers affected by hurricanes. We still don’t have a Farm Bill and even with a majority in both Houses of Congress, there is a divide among the caucuses as to what it should look like. This is particularly true with the SNAP and other nutrition assistance programs. The Farm Bill should have been passed in 2023.
• The last of many potential stories is the potential tariff wars with Canada, Mexico, China, and even the European Union. Just the mention of this possibility since early November is creating rumbles in the ag export market. The U.S. already has a deficit regarding ag commodities for a variety of reasons. And many don’t realize how much of what you eat has an import connection – especially fruits and vegetables. For production agriculture many inputs and technology are produced outside the country and export markets are a key for Kansas producers.
Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.
