date:May 10, 2013
they aren't likely to represent a major solution for drought-stricken areas, according to Scherr.
US corn production reached a six-year low in 2012 with 10.8 billion bushels and yields reached a 17-year low with 123.4 bushels per acre. Farmers filed a record $11.8 billion in crop-insurance claims and farm income fell by 3 percent in 2012 from a record set in 2011, according to the USDA.
This year, persistent spring rain in the Midwest has slowed planting, and cold weather has delayed crop deve