Subject: Midwest Crop Tour Pegs the Impact of 2012's Historic Drought
From: "Farm Journal Media" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:03:26 +0000 (GMT)

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For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Joe May
Phone: 319.268.4361<=r />E-mail: [email-masked]

Midwest Crop=Tour Pegs
the Impact of Historic Drought

Cedar Falls, IA (Aug. 27, 2012) — Professional Farmers o= America, a division of Farm Journal Media, today reported its production =stimates for the 2012 U.S. corn and soybean crops. In a highly challenging=crop production year, the organization’s Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tou= saw record attendance of 2,600 guests at its evening meetings this week, =nd garnered substantial national and international news coverage.
Crop Tour field scouts gathered more than 2,300 corn and soybean samples=across seven Midwest states August 20-23. The area surveyed accounts for a=out 70 percent of U.S. corn and soybean production. As expected, measureme=ts of the samples showed dramatic declines in yield potential for both cor= and soybeans across the drought stricken region.

“We fou=d hard-hit fields throughout each of the seven states,” said Chip Fl=ry, editor of the Pro Farmer newsletter. “Unfortunately, yiel= declines of 20 percent or more will be common for many growers this year.=rdquo;

Based on Midwest Crop Tour data and other sources, Pr= Farmer estimates that overall production will decline by about 15 per=ent for both corn and soybeans for 2012 compared to 2011. The 2012 U.S. co=n crop is estimated to be 10.478 billion bushels, yielding 120.25 bushels =er acre. For soybeans, the production estimate is 2.6 billion bushels (34.= bushels per acre).

“Our scouts were in many corn fields =hat were heavily stressed by this summer’s drought and heat,” =lory explained. “The weather stress and other disease and pest probl=ms have weakened stalk strength. Farmers must figure out which fields they=need to harvest first before stalk lodging results in even more lost yield=”

He added, “The soybean crop needs a rain right no=. Without that much-needed water, yield potential will be even lower than =e estimated.”

More than 2,600 people attended Crop Tour&r=quo;s seven evening meetings sponsored by DuPont Pioneer, SFP (Specialty F=rtilizer Products), RCIS (Rural Community Insurance Services), Farm Credit=Services of America, Gavilon, and Chevy Truck. The final evening report an= meeting, at Ritchie Brothers' auction Theatre near Owatonna, Minn., attra=ted more than 600 attendees. The panel’s report was featured this pa=t weekend on Farm Journal Media’s nationally syndicated television p=ogram “U.S. Farm Report.” Extensive coverage will also appear =n a special insert within the September issue of Top Producer.

Participating in the 2012 Tour were more than 100 volunteer scouts =rom five continents, including growers, agribusiness, media, government, a=d financial firms.

About Pro Farmer and Professional Farme=s of America
Professional Farmers of America, based in Ced=r Falls, Iowa, publishes the nation’s largest news and market adviso=y newsletter, Pro Farmer. The company also publishes a seven-times-=aily email market advisory service, Pro Farmer Today, the LandOw=er newsletter and several voice and text alert services. The Midwest C=op Tour, conducted by Pro Farmer since 1993, is the largest private=crop report of its kind. Covering seven states representing over 70 percen= of the nation’s corn and soybean acres, the Midwest Crop Tour annua=ly gathers qualitative and quantitative data about each year’s corn =nd soybean production potential.

About Farm Journal Media
Farm =ournal Media is the nation’s leading agricultural media company. Its=magazines are the 135-year-old flagship Farm Journal, Top Producer, Beef T=day, Dairy Today and Implement & Tractor. The company produces and dis=ributes the “AgDay,” “U.S. Farm Report,” “Co=n College TV” and “Leave a Legacy TV” national TV progra=s and produces the industry-leading website AgWeb.com and the syn=icated radio show “Consumer Ag Connection.” Farm Journal Media=also licenses detailed industry data through its FarmReach™ database= publishes the Pro Farmer and LandOwner newsletters, pro=uces numerous large-scale live events and provides extensive custom publis=ing services.

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