Due to the prolonged summer drought, Illinois corn crop production is
the lowest it has been since 1995, according to estimates provided today
by the National Agricultural Statistics Services in Springfield.
Obama administration Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has
added to the list of counties classified as disaster areas due to the
historically destructive summer drought. The majority of American
counties are now deemed disaster areas, including 98 of 102 in Illinois, with the
urban and suburban counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will not getting
the designation.
Gov. Pat Quinn pushed
for the disaster designation. After all, it’s hard for government to
immediately respond – neither Obama nor Quinn can make it rain – and the
disaster tag indicates acknowledgement of a serious problem.
The 17th Congressional District race between U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling
(R-Colona) and Democratic nominee Cheri Bustos of East Moline is a
nationally-watched battle. This is not only because the race is close,
but also due to a bevy of high-profile local issues.
Gov. Pat Quinn sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
yesterday, requesting that most Illinois counties be declared disaster
areas because of a record-breaking drought this summer.
As Illinois continues to linger in the midst of one of its worst
droughts in more than two decades, its greatest impact might be felt in
the price of food, as a substantial portion of the state’s corn crop
could be jeopardized if conditions fail to improve.
So says the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of
Nebraska at Lincoln: The vast majority of the state is experiencing a
severe drought, with towns in southern Illinois experiencing less than
two-thirds of normal July rainfall.
Obama administration Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has
added to the list of counties classified as disaster areas due to the
historically destructive summer drought. The majority of American
counties are now deemed disaster areas, including 98 of 102 in Illinois, with the
urban and suburban counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will not getting
the designation.
