Illinois Farm Bureau diz que o estado está vivendo o ano mais seco sexto recorde.

Meteorologistas estão prevendo agrícolas quente, tempo seco para as próximas duas semanas, que continuará a causar estragos nas culturas de milho e soja nas seções norte e oeste do Centro-Oeste. Chuva no leste irá fornecer algum alívio para as culturas de soja.

Drought in the U.S. is spreading into the west and northwestern food-belt which will lead to further stress and even more crop losses. Hot, dry weather will continue in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and western Wisconsin for the next few weeks. Temperatures have been hovering around the one-hundred mark in Chicago and St. Louis. It will be cooler this weekend but hotter weather is expected to return next week.

The drought is escalating and is the worst in over 50 anos. The devastation last week left only 40% of the crop in good condition. This week that level has dropped down to 31%. Soybeans are at 34% of the retrievable level, but unlike corn there is the possibility of a recovery.

These kinds of losses reflect in the food chain. We have not seen any effect yet in the beef, pork and chicken market, but by this next spring the higher prices will be passed on to the consumers.

Cereals and other corn-based food products are not likely to show a big rise in price but will reflect an increase of about 12 cents a box.

Ethanol is another story. That issue is heating up. Producers have already been shutting down some of their production due to the receding demand.