There have been a number of stories about the impacts of the recent extreme weather on crops and production. Here are a few examples.
The Packer reported here that January wind and rain have caused problems for corn growers in southern Florida. The rain and wind knocked down corn plants, ruining any potential harvest. This will make corn in short supply for the next few months and it might be March before things improve. Some growers estimated losses of 50 to 90 percent.
The Packer also reported separately here that the rain in Florida has also hurt the production of celery this winter. The good news is that production of celery as well as broccoli and cauliflower are up in California, which should increase supply of these popular crops.
AgWeb published an article this week noting that all of the rain and snowfall that have hit parts of the United States could cause excess leaching of nutrients from fields due to the runoff. This could add costs to farm production as farmers will need to replace the nutrients by applying additional fertilizer. Fortunately, fertilizer prices have dropped by 10 to 15 percent.
