What caused the decline of corn in 2012?

With favorable conditions, farmers planted at the fastest pace in U.S. history and planted the largest acreage in the past 75 years. But historic drought conditions in most of the corn-growing states caused the corn crop conditions to decline rapidly.

What was the major cause of crop failure during this time?

Heavy precipitation and field flooding in agricultural systems delays spring planting, increases soil compaction, and causes crop losses through anoxia and root diseases; variation in precipitation is responsible for the majority of the crop losses (Mendelsohn, 2007) .

What problems do corn farmers face?

Young corn plants are susceptible to flooding injury and ponding because debris, residue from other fields and weed seed mixes with silt and enters the whorl of the plant. Bacteria associated with the soil also find their way into the whorl and may kill the plant. “Soil saturation is also an issue.

What happens after crop failure?

The result of crop failure tends to affect farmers’ income, decrease the amount of food available for consumption, and also negatively affect the economy of a country, especially if it is an agriculture-dependent economy.

Who causes the most damage to crops?

Drought. Drought has been established as the single greatest culprit of agricultural production loss. Over 34 percent of crop and livestock production loss in LDCs and LMICs is traced to drought, costing the sector USD 37 billion overall.

Why is corn unsustainable?

But corn presents a very large problem: It isn’t a very sustainable crop. Corn readily depletes nitrogen and other important nutrients from the soil, and requires ample water to grow, which means farmers are dependent on both irrigation and natural rainfall.

Is corn a thirsty crop?

“Corn is a really thirsty crop, so in parts of the country where we don’t have ample rain, we’re irrigating it, usually with groundwater, like from the aquifer that we have in the middle of the country called the High Plains Aquifer, which is a tremendous groundwater resource.

What was the world’s largest crop in 2012?

corn
In 2012, the global corn harvest came in at 852 million tons, while 654 million tons of wheat and 466 million tons of rice were produced. Wheat takes up the most land because corn yields are typically much higher, averaging close to 5 tons per hectare globally compared with about 3 tons per hectare for wheat and rice.

What impacted food prices in 2012?

U.S. drought drives up food prices worldwide – Aug. 9, 2012.

Why did corn prices drop?

Corn futures dropped on Tuesday as concerns about abundant supply whacked America’s biggest cash crop. It’s the latest trading volatility in the commodities sector as the pandemic and the economic reopening distorted markets and led to big speculation in areas like lumber.