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Drought is exploding major cash crops in the United States, further raising the prices of staple foods, including corn and wheat.
The punitive dynamics of a scorching summer were evident this month during the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, an annual event where farmers visit the main growing areas of the grain belt to gather data on the upcoming harvest. Driving along National Highway 14 outside of Verdigre, New Brunswick, Randy Wiese turned to see a farmer harvesting hay. The batteries were small.
“This farmer has a stomach ache,” said Mr. Wiese, who cultivates 800 acres of soybeans and corn in Lake Park, Iowa.
He is not alone. Farm incomes have been hit hard in the past two years, first when the Covid-19 closures hammered prices and then when hot, dry weather reduced production, limiting farmers’ ability to take advantage increased demand and higher prices.
Extreme heat cooks most of the United States in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, all of which contain areas of extreme drought, according to data from the US Drought Monitor. North Dakota and Minnesota, in particular, are experiencing near-record declines in soil moisture, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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