A drought it taking its toll on corn crops in Union County this summer.

Farmers are reporting damaged and undergrown crops that matured more than three week before they should have. The sweltering heat and shortage of rain has left many farmers on the brink of a total loss.

"Too much water too early, then a rapid drown down, too dry. Plus, it's too hot," explained farmer Allen Baucom, who said much of his 1500 acres of corn is not worth harvesting.

Union County Agriculture Extension Director Kelly Liddington is fearful the lack of a crop will hurt more than just what you see at the grocery store.

"We've got places in the county that haven't seen measurable rain since May. We're going to have some difficulty feeding cattle. That is the immediate concern," said Liddington.

Much of the corn currently being harvested is so bad it can't even be used for livestock feed. Farmers are being forced to buy hay from other parts of the country and state just to feed their cattle.

"This is not just, 'Oh, this is a bad year!' This is read. This is bad and real, and it will have a detrimental impact," warned Baucom. "You'll see this translate into less food and higher prices in stores."

Union County officials have already begun taking steps to declare the drought an official disaster with the USDA.

Source - http://www.wcnc.com/