|
|
 e-Newsletter
|
|
The drought this summer is anticipated to have a ripple-effect for area farmers next year. Patrick Kirchhofer is with the Peoria County Farm Bureau. He says the hot, dry conditions haven't significantly impacted area farm jobs so far. But he says the impact will likely be felt this fall when the corn and soybean yields are counted: “Last year we averaged I think it was around 160 bushels of corn and soybeans was in that 50-bushels an acre range,” Kirchhofer says.
“We’re definitely going to be well below that this year. To what extent it's a little bit too early to determine but each day that goes by that’s 90-degrees and it doesn't rain its taking yield off the top.”
Kirchhofer says machinery and fertilizer dealerships will also be impacted. He says if farmers bought crop insurance this spring it will help buffer the financial fallout from low crop yields.
Livestock Farmers can also use grass on special conservation reserve land to feed their hurd. But Kirchhofer says that land is likely low quality because of the drought. Peoria County has about 250,000 acres in crop production each year in corn, soybeans and wheat. |
|||
