In the drought-ravaged Midwest, farmers who had spent much of last summer praying for rain are finding themselves drenched by recent downpours, a turnabout that could similarly hurt overall production this season.
Last year, farmers across the country suffered through one of the worst droughts in recent history. With temperatures reaching record highs and with average rainfall plummeting, farmers stood helplessly by as their crops withered in the field and their profits evaporated.
In many parts of the country, farmers were only able to get by this year thanks to federal crop insurance programs, which protected them from the worst of their crop losses.
This summer, however, Midwestern producers are facing the serious hurdle of too much, rather than too little, rain. The torrential downpour is preventing seed planting and may drown crops in the fields. “This is the worst spring I can remember in my 30 years farming,” said Rob Korff, of northwestern Missouri. “Just continuous rain, not having an opportunity to plant. It can still be a decent crop, but as far as a good crop or a great crop, that’s not going to happen.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer