Exceptional Drought Threatens Florida’s Farm Recovery — Peanut Yields Collapse, Hay Costs Spike

This year’s unusually quiet hurricane season spared many Floridians the familiar storm prep, but the lack of tropical rainfall has taken a heavy toll on the state’s farms. Months without meaningful rain have left large parts of Florida dry and stressed — especially the Panhandle and North Florida, which are now facing the worst drought in over a decade.

According to farmers and federal drought data, some Panhandle areas are 7–9 inches below normal rainfall, and eight counties are classified in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s highest category: exceptional drought. North Florida is in this condition for the first time since 2011 — a critical blow during the August–October window that is essential to many planting and harvest schedules.

“Some of my farmers kind of joked that this was their farewell tour,” said Doug Mayo, county extension director for Jackson County with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), reflecting the anxiety felt in rural communities. Producers in Gadsden, Jackson, Liberty and Calhoun counties reported crops stressed by sustained heat and dry soils, while cattle grazed on parched, stunted pastures.

Crop and Livestock Impacts

Growers who concentrated on peanuts this season — a crop many hoped would be a stable domestic market — saw harvests devastated by the dry conditions. Mayo reported some yields as low as 300 pounds per acre, compared with a typical 3,500–4,000 pounds per acre in a normal year. One long-time farmer in his 70s told Mayo it was the worst peanut season he’d ever experienced.

Ranchers have also been squeezed. Hay cut in August is critical for winter feeding, but the hay season was shortened by drought. “Water and grass are the two main things cattle need, and we have been in short supply since August,” said Pat Durden, legislative chairman of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. In many pastures, green growth browned about six weeks earlier than normal, and ranchers are already distributing bales sooner than usual.

Economic Strain and Aid

Agriculture remains Florida’s second-largest industry after tourism. In 2022 the combined sectors of agriculture, forestry and fishing generated about $11.34 billion in gross revenue across the state. But rising input costs and low commodity prices are squeezing margins just as yields and forage supplies drop.

Producers are beginning to document losses to apply for federal disaster assistance. Cattle producers can apply for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFDP), which reimburses a portion of feed costs — roughly $40 per bale in the program estimate — while market prices are averaging about $70 per bale. With an estimated four bales required per cow for winter, that shortfall quickly becomes significant.

Officials and farmers emphasize that some impacts will unfold slowly. Reduced forage and stressed cow herds can reduce reproductive success and calf crops next year, meaning the full economic effects may not be apparent until 2026.

Weather Outlook and What Farmers Need

A modest rainfall of just over 1.5 inches fell recently and forecasts pointed to additional precipitation, but farmers say the timing matters: winter planting has already been pushed back about a month, and soils need a deeper “winter recharge” — especially in North Florida where winters typically bring more rain than the south.

“We know we’re in a predicament — just how long will it last?” Durden said. “If we have a dry spring, this could get much worse.” Rep. Danny Alvarez (R-Tampa), sponsor of the 2026 farm bill, said he is open to legislative help: “We’ve done it in the past; we’ll do it again.”

As farmers gather documentation for federal aid and ranchers plan for higher feed costs, local leaders warn that the visible landscape belies a more fragile reality: fields may look like working farms from the road, but many producers are fighting daily to make it through to next year.

Reporting note: This story is based on reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat and interviews with UF/IFAS extension staff, National Weather Service hydrologists, and agricultural leaders.