A widening summer drought is putting severe stress on crops across eastern North Carolina.
Eastern North Carolina corn and soybean fields are facing steep yield drops due to lack of rain. Agricultural extension officials report that fields are getting only a quarter-inch of water at a time when they need more than one inch per week.
New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks North Carolina's corn condition among the worst in the country. Only 2% of the state's corn is rated excellent, while 36% is currently rated poor or very poor. Planted corn acreage is also down to 900,000 acres this year.
Local feed mills warn that if dry weather continues, they will have to import grain from out of state, raising production costs for regional livestock farmers.
