by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Corn and soybean prices continue to soar upwards, but the lack of rain could eat into row crop farmers’ profits. Grain price hikes are negatively impacting cattle producers.
Less than an inch of rain has fallen in Jonesboro during the month of June, which is 56% less than normal, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures have consistently been in the mid-90s and have topped 100 degrees several days during the month.
The extreme heat and lack of rain are leading to abnormally dry conditions in some parts of Northeast Arkansas which is the stage before drought conditions set in, according to NWS. Counties with those dry conditions include parts of Clay, Fulton, Mississippi, Randolph and Sharp counties. The number of counties with abnormally dry conditions could grow when the NWS releases a drought monitor update in July.
