By Daniel Munch
American Farm Bureau
2023 has already yielded its fair share of major weather disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed 15 weather disasters with total economic losses exceeding $1 billion each as of August 8. This does not include potential billion-dollar events still being assessed, such as the extensive flooding in Vermont and New Hampshire in July and ongoing drought conditions in the Midwest. Additionally, more recent disasters such as Hurricane Hilary in California and the disastrous Maui fire in Hawaii have not yet been considered. In any case, the onslaught of weather and climate disasters continues to challenge farmers and ranchers, contributing to market uncertainty as we enter prime harvest season for some of the nation’s most popular crops. Dry conditions have also returned to the Mississippi River region, lowering water levels, which could again complicate transportation during the most important agricultural shipping period of the year. Extreme heat in the Southwest and along the Gulf Coast further risks crop quality as well as the health of rural residents and livestock.