Much of the rest of Nebraska's land base is native pasture or rangeland. Droughts have at least two direct impacts on farmers and ranchers. First, for non-irrigated crops and grazing land, production falls. The greater the moisture shortfall, the more production drops. Except for harvesting, all production costs have been committed by early summer.
Droughts also push up production costs for irrigators.
This year, many irrigators have been forced to begin watering crops in early June, far ahead of the traditional starting time of about July Fourth. As for the general public, it's important to remember that about one-quarter of all economic activity in Nebraska is due directly or indirectly to production agriculture. If farm and ranch incomes fall because of drought, it will be felt across Nebraska. Towns and villages outside the urban centers of Omaha and Lincoln especially are vulnerable. Hard-pressed farmers usually aren't prospective buyers of tractors and other farm equipment.