US wheat farmers navigate uncertainty amid drought and geopolitical chaos
US wheat farmers are facing significant financial uncertainty due to a combination of record-high fuel costs, severe drought, and erratic weather patterns. Despite rising global wheat prices, farmers are struggling to maintain profitability and are hesitant to commit to future planting cycles.
Why it matters
The convergence of climate-driven crop failures and geopolitical instability threatens global food security and could lead to further inflation in food prices.
Unharvested wheat in a field on 29 July 2026 in Beloit, Kansas. Unharvested wheat in a field on 29 July 2026 in Beloit, Kansas. US economy US wheat farmers navigate uncertainty amid drought and geopolitical chaos Some experts worry factors affecting wheat exports could push global food prices even higher than they are now
Prefer the Guardian on Google Wheat prices are at their highest level in three years, which means farmer Merrill Nielsen should be getting more for his crops out of his 2,500-acre (1,010-hectare) Kansas farm.
Yet even as future prices for bread-type wheat are up 39%, Nielsen is unsure whether increased prices will raise his bottom line. The price of diesel fuel, which he needs to run his tractor, has hit record highs. Then there’s the erratic weather that made him lose his entire wheat crop in the spring, and drought has overtaken the southern Great Plains.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in