News
Iowa corn condition plummets under hot June sun
Hot, dry weather is quickly evaporating crop conditions in the nation’s top corn-producing state.
The USDA’s latest weekly crop report rates 63 percent of Iowa’s corn in good to excellent condition, a drop of 14 percentage points on the week.
Two weeks ago, 81 percent of Iowa corn was considered good to excellent.
North-central Iowa farmer Brent Renner tells Brownfield it’s really dry.
“Our soil types are such that usually we’re wetter than we’d like, so it’s got to get really dry for us to suffer. But we are seeing corn that’s starting to roll, so yeah we’re dry. There’s no doubt.”
Iowa’s 18-point drop in corn condition rating over the past two weeks reflects worsening drought conditions across much of the Midwest.
Since the beginning of June, U.S. corn considered good to excellent has fallen from 76 to 68 percent.