What began as a potential record-setting year for corn and soybean yields became a miserable one for much of Ohio because of persistently hot and dry conditions.

A drought that began in the southeast part of the state this summer expanded to the north and west.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map, released last week, shows all of northwest Ohio in a moderate drought. 

That's a slight improvement over the week before, when most of northwest Ohio was in a severe drought. Much of the land in the southeast part of the state is still experiencing severe or extreme dryness. Some of it was deemed exceptionally dry a week ago.

Nearly all of Michigan and Indiana are in a moderate drought or abnormally dry, too.

The drought remains severe in many parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula north of Lansing, including the tip of Michigan’s farm-rich Thumb region. It’s also severe in several northern Indiana counties just west of the Ohio state line.

“The persistent hot and dry conditions turned what was supposed to be record corn and soybean yields, projected by USDA, into a significant drop in yields in 2024, compared to 2023,” Ty Higgins, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation senior director of communications and media relations, told The Blade.

Lower yields usually mean higher crop prices for the agricultural industry.

But other parts of the Midwest had more favorable growing conditions, which suppressed corn and soybean prices overall, Mr. Higgins said.

Source - https://www.toledoblade.com