Drought conditions worsen

Drought continues to plague South-east Missouri with no relief coming in the near future. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Drought Mitigation Center and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration say Cape Girardeau, Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid, Stoddard, Butler and nearly all of Bollinger and Wayne counties are all in a severe drought. Moderate to severe droughts are happening in Perry, Pemiscot and Madison counties. The Stoddard County Farm Services Administration says farmers find themselves in two different categories pertinent to droughts: those able to irrigate their crops and those who are not. Production costs are expected to rise for rice, cotton and corn farmers because of the need to irrigate.