Shocking satellite images of how drought is impacting U.S. crops

by Covestor

These maps just released from the Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory at Kansas State University and Farm Futures show the impact of this summer's severe heat wave and drought on U.S. crops. They're based on satellite data taken over a two-week period.

Here's a comparison of this year's vegetation to the 23-year average for this period (brown indicates 'decreased biomass' and green indicates 'increased biomass):

And here's a comparison to last year alone:

 

Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas appear most hard-hit. This helps explain why corn and soy prices are soaring. Chart from the WSJ - click to enlarge:

 

The corn price surge since mid-June, via Joe Wiesenthal. This is for September '12 corn futures:

Look how it's impacted the Corn ETF (CORN) - three month chart:

This entry was posted by Covestor on and is filed under Best of the Web.

  • Beckerb

    There is a sliver lining related to less corn based sugar products. American is FAT and a lot has to do with all the corn based sugar additives. Go back to crane based sugar and watch the pounds drop off. 40 years ago Americans where not FAT yet we still consumed much of what we do today. Corn sugar is dirt cheap compared to cane sugar but I would rather pay more for healthy food.

  • Lookatallcauses

    Considering our peaking solar cycle the charts look the same.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Howard-Otton/1703162110 Howard Otton

    Stop food for fuel. Ethanol =  less MPG at every fill up ,and drives up food prices.   We pay more both ways.

  • http://twitter.com/dchrist81 david christoph

    negative divergences in RSI, MACD, OBV suggest CORN ready for a correctioin

  • Jkeller

    Look at the two charts together you see that 45% of the production had increased baroness.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JJT7SQNTWEKQORXWO62SKFPQTI JD

     You are absolutely correct. Ethanol was supposed to decrease gas prices. I don't like paying for diluted fuel at the same or higher price than uncompromised/100% real gasoline. Now we are paying/bailing out the farmers for the corn crop and paying higher prices at the pump for non efficient fuel. It is a losing situation on both sides. I've never in my life seen such Stupid Gov. officials who run through with money that they never worked a day in their life to acquire.

  • alan

    Ethanol uses #2 yellow , not food grade corn, then they use the DDGS and Wet cake for animal feed with a much higher protein content. So you get 2 uses out of it.
    One more very important thing, Most of the cost increase on food prices has little to do with the food itself. it has more to do with fuel prices , delivery costs, than the actual cost of the raw material.