Drought and grasshoppers take a toll on wheat and barley production

As grain farmers painfully know drought and grasshoppers across the northern and western regions of the United States has hampered small grain production.

Specifically, for malt barley, Idaho barley production is forecasted to be down 36% from 2020, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Idaho is in better shape than Montana and North Dakota, the other top two barley producing states. The USDA is predicting barley production will be down 54% in Montana and 37% in North Dakota from last year.

The three states make up 79% of the U.S. malt barley production, so nationwide...