# Drought threat intensifies for U.S. Plains winter wheat crop

> Chicago winter wheat futures rallied to seven-month highs above $5 a bushel in March on fears that an intensifying drought in the US Plains would hurt crops. Planted winter wheat acreage is already at a 109-year low. Hard red winter wheat supplies are tight, and millers have been paying historically high premiums for top-quality grain.

- Date: 2018-03-13 · published 2018-03-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/66052-drought-threat-intensifies-for-u-s-plains-winter-wheat-crop
- Commodities: [Wheat (HRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/KWHEAT.md), [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md)

## Why it matters

Drought risk to the hard red winter crop and already tight high-protein supplies support prices for wheat used in feed and food. Buyers of wheat-based feed should expect firm KC wheat prices while the dry weather persists.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- KWHEAT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| KWHEAT | 2026-04-30 | [Wheat Prices Jump as Drought Threatens U.S. Output - WSJ](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19766-wheat-prices-jump-as-drought-threatens-u-s-output-wsj.md) | -2.1% | -3.6% |
| KWHEAT | 2026-05-07 | [$7 wheat is back as Plains drought slashes crop prospects](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19314-7-wheat-is-back-as-plains-drought-slashes-crop-prospects.md) | +5.7% | -8.2% |
| KWHEAT | 2026-06-22 | [After drought and wildfires, wheat farmers in the Great Plains are in for a rough year \| HPPR](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18863-after-drought-and-wildfires-wheat-farmers-in-the-great-plains-are-in-for-a.md) | -5.1% | +12.4% |
| KWHEAT | 2022-04-13 | [U.S. Hard Red Winter Wheat in Drought Adds Supply Concerns](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41905-u-s-hard-red-winter-wheat-in-drought-adds-supply-concerns.md) | +0.1% | +2.1% |
| KWHEAT | 2018-01-30 | [U.S. grains: Winter wheat jumps as crop conditions drop - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67013-u-s-grains-winter-wheat-jumps-as-crop-conditions-drop-grainews.md) | +1.9% | +7.9% |
| WHEAT | 2026-04-30 | [Wheat Prices Jump as Drought Threatens U.S. Output - WSJ](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19766-wheat-prices-jump-as-drought-threatens-u-s-output-wsj.md) | -3.2% | -0.6% |
| WHEAT | 2026-05-07 | [$7 wheat is back as Plains drought slashes crop prospects](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19314-7-wheat-is-back-as-plains-drought-slashes-crop-prospects.md) | +3.6% | -0.1% |
| WHEAT | 2026-06-22 | [After drought and wildfires, wheat farmers in the Great Plains are in for a rough year \| HPPR](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18863-after-drought-and-wildfires-wheat-farmers-in-the-great-plains-are-in-for-a.md) | -1.6% | +1.9% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crops-wheat/drought-threat-intensifies-for-u-s-plains-winter-wheat-crop-idUSKCN1GP36U/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.