The Department of Agriculture has estimated that 550,000 acres of Iowa corn will not be harvested this fall due to damage caused by the Aug. 10 windstorm that swept across the state. That estimate in a report released Friday places the value of the lost corn crop based on the yield and price anticipated before the storm at around $344 million. Corn prices have gone up due to the crop losses, so farmers will likely get more money for the corn they do harvest. Most farmers also have crop insurance to cover some of the loss, and other federal programs may help. The storm, which cut through Iowa with winds reaching 140 mph, also damaged full storage bins at farm cooperatives and on farms, taking out grain stored from last year's harvest (Greenwire, Aug. 26).
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