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Drought Devastates Corn Crop: Yields Down 50 Percent In Illinois
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 9:57
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Volunteers fanned out across White County, Ill. Tuesday to conduct the 16th annual crop tour. What they saw was how devastating the drought of 2012 has been on corn.
It was so bad, that one volunteer said, “When you actually go out into the field — there’s nothing there.”
The average estimated 2012 corn yield for White County is 58.3 bushels per acre. That’s compared to last year’s actual yield of 135.6 bushels per acre.
Despite an early and promising planting season, a record breaking drought and multiple weeks of 100 plus degree heat this summer has all but destroyed this year’s crop.
When asked to describe the condition of the corn, Kara Lee with Consolidated Grain and Barge said, “It’s sad and depressing. I knew it was going to be bad, but I thought it would be better than it was.” Lee toured Enfield Township in northern White county.
Yields were down in every township of White County. Despite some spotty rains this summer, many fields checked in with zero yield potential, leaving in doubt whether farmers will spend the money on harvesting the crop at all. READ MORE HERE
