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Worries Mount as Farmers Push for Big Harvest

Syndicated from COA News on Tue, 2008-06-10
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Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/business/10planting.html?hp
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Subhead:

GRIFFIN, Ind. — In a year when global harvests need to be excellent to ease the threat of pervasive food shortages, evidence is mounting that they will be average at best. Some farmers are starting to fear disaster.

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American corn and soybean farmers are suffering from too much rain, while Australian wheat farmers have been plagued by drought.

“The planting has gotten off to a poor start,” said Bill Nelson, a Wachovia grains analyst. “The anxiety level is increasing.”

Randy Kron, whose family has been farming in the southwestern corner of Indiana for 135 years, should have corn more than a foot tall by now. But all spring it has seemed as if there were a faucet in the sky. The rain is regular, remorseless.

View complete article at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/business/10planting.html?hp

Lede picture caption:
Corn on the Kron farm that should be knee-high is only several inches above the ground.
Lede picture credit:
Peter Newcomb for The New York Times
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teaser:
American corn and soybean farmers are suffering from too much rain, while Australian wheat farmers have been plagued by drought.

“The planting has gotten off to a poor start,” said Bill Nelson, a Wachovia grains analyst. “The anxiety level is increasing.”

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