Alabama corn harvest yields down 30% from 10-year average, climate change blamed

Alabama corn harvest yields dropped to 65 bushels per acre due to drought conditions, down from 72 in 2006 and down more than 30% from the 10-year average. State farmers had increased planting more than 50% to take advantage of high prices, but the total state harvest was up only 31% over 2006. Demand for livestock feed is expected to increase owing to the drop in state hay production, which was down 15% to 1.7 tons per acre owing to drought conditions.

As southern states are niche players in the national corn market, the news is expected to be more than balanced by record yields and production in Corn Belt states of the Midwest. However, the report highlights the falling crop yields caused by climate change, and presages further bad publicity for biofuels if significant shortages of food crops are experienced, as is expected to be the case in several temperate-latitude countries.

Anti-biofuels advocates tend to blame biofuel consumption, rather than low crop yields, for food shortages or price rises.

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