Drought in western US threatens soybean and corn crops

Persistent drought in the northwestern United States threatens to delay the previously predicted record corn and soybean harvest.

Major agricultural areas in the United States (US) were affected by drought for two months, from the northern plains, the Rocky Mountain states and Texas to California and Oregon. This represents almost half of the arable land in the United States.

In North Dakota and South Dakota, where a lot of wheat is grown, farmers planted several million more acres of soybeans this year. There is currently a high demand for it all over the world. On average, these two states produce 7.5 percent of the country’s corn and 10 percent of soybeans. Failure to do so means poor performance nationally.

Second biggest harvest

Under normal weather conditions, America’s corn and soybean crops are expected to become the second largest in history this year. The planting season has only just started, so there is still a chance for better weather conditions and crop resumption.

The summer months are usually the time of truth for corn and soybeans. The US Department of Agriculture USDA will add soybeans to its weekly crop condition report starting next Monday.