Lt. Gov.
Tracey Mann hosted Bill Northey, the USDA under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service, on a trip to south central Kansas on April 6 to visit drought-affected fields and to speak with farmers and ranchers in the area.
They were joined by David Schemm, USDA FSA state executive director in Kansas; Jackie McClaskey, Kansas secretary of agriculture; Tracy Streeter, director of the Kansas Water Office; and Rich Felts, president of Kansas Farm Bureau.
A roundtable discussion at the Kanza Cooperative in Pratt gave area farmers, ranchers and industry partners an opportunity to talk about their experiences and concerns with the representatives from state and federal agencies who have a voice in policy issues.
The group discussed a variety of issues including crop insurance, the Conservation Reserve Program, trade, farm programs and more.
“Agriculture is the backbone of the Kansas economy, and Governor Colyer and I will work with local farmers and ranchers to understand the challenges they are facing and do what we can to support them throughout this drought,” said Lt. Gov.
The group walked wheat fields near Pratt, Kansas, which have been distressed by the drought conditions currently impacting much of Kansas.
Gov.
Jeff Colyer signed a drought declaration for the state on March 6, and the conditions have only worsened since that time, with the newest U.S. Drought Monitor showing 49 counties in D2 (severe) or D3 (extreme) drought levels and now 6 counties at D4 (exceptional) levels.
Pratt County is at the D3 (extreme) drought level.

Recently, Gov.
Jeff Colyer signed a drought declaration for all 105 counties in the state of Kansas to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers as they cope with the impact the drought will continue to have on crops and livestock.
This action activates the disaster response efforts at the state level and provides authority for the deployment and use of personnel, supplies, equipment, materials or facilities available to aid the drought response.
Importantly, this declaration will temporarily suspend certain motor carrier rules and regulations in order to expedite efforts to transport hay to livestock in drought-stricken areas.
In addition, the governor issued letters to the Kansas State executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency and all county executive directors to encourage them to act quickly to review the situation on the ground and consider making a request to permit the use of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program for haying and grazing.
The U.S. Drought Monitor, used to track drought across the United States, identifies general areas of drought and labels them by intensity.
The Kansas Drought Response team utilizes this data along with projections from other sources to make recommendations about necessary action for drought conditions.
See the latest from the U.S. Drought Monitor at www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu.
Agriculture makes up 45 percent of the state’s economy, and contributes $68 billion to our state.
When the state experiences a drought, it can impact each and every Kansan, and KDA will continue to work with farmers and ranchers and all of our partners in agriculture to help provide access to the resources they need to cope with crop losses and impacts on livestock.

Governor Jeff Colyer recently issued Drought Declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order 18-11 at a press conference with Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey and Kansas Water Office Director Tracy Streeter.
The declaration includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status.
“The entire state of Kansas has been considered in drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several weeks,” said Governor Colyer.
“This has led to an extremely high risk of fire hazards and many have already occurred.” The drought declaration placed 28 counties in emergency status, 29 into a warning status and 48 into a watch status.
Over the past six months the state-wide average precipitation was only 66 percent of normal and in January and February the state-wide average precipitation was even less, at 43 percent of normal.
“While wildfires are the most urgent concern at this point, water supplies can be dramatically impacted in a very short period of time, especially as we start to enter into spring and summer months,” said Streeter.
“The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation closely as future outlooks call for drought persisting and make recommendations to the governor as necessary.” McClaskey remarked on the potential impact the drought could have on Kansas agriculture, saying “The Kansas Department of Agriculture is committed to serving Kansas farmers and ranchers, especially during challenging times like the current drought.
Drought Emergency: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens and Sumner.
Drought Warning: Allen, Butler, Chautauqua, Chase, Cowley, Dickinson, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Greeley, Greenwood, Harvey, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson.
Drought Watch: Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Crawford, Decatur, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Washington and Wyandotte.

TOPEKA, Kan.
Most of Kansas has not seen measurable rainfall this year and the situation is becoming increasingly serious.
In Wichita, the last measurable moisture of at least one quarter of an inch was 104 days ago, in late November.
It’s been dry enough statewide for Kansas Gov.
Jeff Colyer to declare drought emergency, warnings and watches for all 105 Kansas counties.
“The entire State of Kansas has been considered in drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several weeks,” Colyer says.
The governor’s office says Streeter, who also serves as the Chair of the governor’s Drought Response Team, recommended the action.
Over the past six months, the governor’s office says, the statewide average precipitation was 66 percent of the normal amount.
In January and February, that average was just 43 percent of what’s typically expected for moisture this time of year.
“While wildfires are the most urgent concern at this point, water supplies can be dramatically impacted in a very short period of time, especially as we start to enter into spring and summer months,” Streeter says.

On Tuesday Governor Jeff Colyer, issued Drought Declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order 18-11 at a press conference with Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey and Kansas Water Office Director Tracy Streeter.
The declaration includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status.
“This has led to an extremely high risk of fire hazards and many have already occurred.” The drought declaration placed 28 counties in emergency status, 29 into a warning status and 48 into a watch status.
Over the past six months the state-wide average precipitation was only 66 percent of normal and in January and February the state-wide average precipitation was even less, at 43 percent of normal.
“While wildfires are the most urgent concern at this point, water supplies can be dramatically impacted in a very short period of time, especially as we start to enter into spring and summer months,” said Streeter.
“The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation closely as future outlooks call for drought persisting and make recommendations to the Governor as necessary.” McClaskey, who was also present at the press conference, remarked on the potential impact the drought could have on Kansas agriculture, saying, “The Kansas Department of Agriculture is committed to serving Kansas farmers and ranchers, especially during challenging times like the current drought.
County Drought Stage Declarations by county were: Drought Emergency: Ford, Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens and Sumner.
Drought Warning: Allen, Butler, Chautauqua, Chase, Cowley, Dickinson, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Greeley, Greenwood, Harvey, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson.
Drought Watch: Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Crawford, Decatur, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Washington and Wyandotte.
For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at www.kwo.ks.gov.

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) – Governor Jeff Colyer, MD issued Drought declarations for Kansas counties at a press conference on Tuesday.
Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey and Kansas Water Office Director Tracy Streeter were also in attendence.
The declaration includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status.
“The entire State of Kansas has been considered in drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several weeks,” said Governor Colyer.
“This has led to an extremely high risk of fire hazards and many have already occurred.” The drought declaration placed 28 counties in emergency status, 29 into a warning status and 48 into a watch status.
Over the past six months the state-wide average precipitation was only 66 percent of normal and in January and February the state-wide average precipitation was even less, at 43 percent of normal.
Counties who are in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes due to the Kansas Water Office Memorandum of Understanding with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism.
Drought Emergency: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner Drought Warning: Allen, Butler, Chautauqua, Chase, Cowley, Dickinson, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Greeley, Greenwood, Harvey, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson Drought Watch: Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Crawford, Decatur, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wyandotte