Scorching summer heat took a toll on the Midwest corn crop, and food shoppers could see the results in higher prices at the supermarket in coming months.
The government on Monday sharply reduced its estimate of this year’s corn harvest because of hot, dry conditions in July and August. That will prop up already high prices for the grain that is the main source of feed for cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys.
Producers have been shrinking their flocks and herds to cope with the higher cost of feeding their animals, and that reduced supply of meat and dairy products will help drive up food prices by 4 to 6 percent next year, says economist Thomas Elam of FarmEcon LLC.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Des Moines Register