America’s farmers are killing their own crops and selling cows because of the severe drought.

July was the third warmest on record in the U.S., ranking among the top 10 states in the West except for Montana, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly weather and crop bulletin, which ends Aug. 6, says “drought has accelerated across the central and southern Plains and the Mid-South, depleting soil moisture and severely undermining cropland, pastures and various summer crops.”

The AFBF survey was conducted in 15 states from June 8 to July 20 during the worst drought, from Texas to North Dakota to California, which accounts for nearly half of the nation’s agricultural production value.

In California – a state with major fruit and nut crops – 50% of the state’s farmers have had to remove trees and perennial crops due to drought, the study found, affecting future income. And 33 percent of U.S. farmers say they need to do the same, nearly doubling from last year.

Selling herds

Access to water for livestock is a key issue for farmers and ranchers this year, with 57 percent limited to local water use, compared to 50 percent of farmers last year. Key water sources like Lake Mead and Lake Powell — operating at less than 30% of their full capacity — typically provide water for 5.5 million acres of land in seven western states, according to the AFBF.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced that the Colorado River was operating at a Stage 2 shortage for the first time since January. This means that Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will have to further reduce their use of water from the Colorado River.

High inflation makes it difficult for cattle keepers their land. Diesel prices are declining but still high, making it more expensive to transport more water than in years past. Fertilizers for grass and crops and animal feed are also expensive.

Consumer influence

U.S. consumers expect to spend more on certain food products as a result of the drought, according to the report.

“For cattle and cattle, the market has a small breeding herd after finishing the surplus animals sent to slaughter. [price increases] It can be from six months to more than a year. Daniel Munch, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said it could be an immediate harvest for specialty crops.

Fruits, nuts and vegetables are mostly imported from states with high levels of drought. But farmers were forced to abandon planting or destroy gardens. That “could cause American consumers to pay more for these items and rely in part on foreign supplies or reduce the variety of items they buy in-store,” the report said.

For example, California gets 80 percent of the world’s supply of almonds — limiting other places where American consumers can buy the popular nut. And it is not easy to change the place where nuts are grown – because the crop needs a different climate and soil.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ August inflation report, US consumers are spending 9.3% more on fruits and vegetables than a year ago.