It is always terrifying how powerless man sometimes is against what nature comes up with. According to USA statistics, the country is hit with its worst drought in 25 years and food prices are expected to rise accordingly. The farming heartlands of the US are severely affected – 61 percent of the country, according to Yahoo! News.
It is always terrifying how powerless man sometimes is against what nature comes up with. According to USA statistics, the country is hit with its worst drought in 25 years and food prices are expected to rise accordingly. The farming heartlands of the US are severely affected – 61 percent of the country, according to Yahoo! News.
Farmers warned they may have to harvest their crops early to sell off stalks as cheap feed for animals. US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said to reporters after he had briefed President Obama on the crisis: "I get on my knees every day and I'm saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it." The Secretary stated that as much as 78 percent of US corn and 11 percent of soybean crops had been hit, which will already likely cost the economy billions of dollars, based on what statistics about food production and farming have to say.. "This will result in significant increases in prices for corn. We've seen a 38 percent increase since June 1 in the price of a bushel of corn -- it's now $7.88. A bushel of beans has risen 24 percent," said Vilsack.
The problem has several parts. As the Secretary warned, consequences are also made more serious by the fact that since weather conditions were good at the beginning of the farming season that work in the field started early. According to Vilsack, the number of territories classified as drought disaster zones has been increased by the government. The total is 1,297 counties in 29 states. In these areas farmers can apply for assistance.
According to Yahoo! News, the World Bank is also keeping an eye on the situation, to see how the drought influences food supplies around the world. This would be relevant first of all for poor nations who import their food.