E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe severe drought ruining crops around much of the United States has spared the Pacific Northwest. Farmers in Washington are enjoying high crop yields and high prices.
“When there is a drought, prices go up. So where you are, that you don’t have a drought, you’re reaping the benefits of someone else taking it in the shorts,” said Justin Waddington, a farmer in Yakima Valley, Washington.
“It’s kind of sad that someone has to go broke somewhere or have a hard time for somebody to do good,” said Waddington.
Watch NBCNews.com’s full report from John Brecher above.
More coverage of the drought:
Drought sends Mississippi into ‘uncharted territory’
‘Best year ever’ for some farmers outside drought region
Forced to sell cattle during drought, dairy farmers ‘just keep praying’ for rain
Drought expected to take toll at checkout
Americans tell their story of #Drought2012
In drought-stricken Wisconsin, farmers helping farmers
Emergency well drilling brings relief to farmers stricken by drought
Have you been affected by the worst drought in more than 50 years? Share your photos with us on Instagram, Tumblr or Twitter with the tag #Drought2012. You can also upload your photos in the box below.
Leave a Comment:
I do wonder how many farmers outside the drought areas were paid to leave the land idle. The farm bill is making a lot of LLC's very wealthy while leaving the small farmer to go broke. My roots are with small farmers and my heart goes out to you. Who else would work the hours for the pay.
My grandfather always told me that for some farmers to have a windfall, farmers somewhere else had to have a disaster.
I live in central PA, the corn is as high as an elephant's eye here! The local farmers will be raking in the dough, with prices going up.
Don't believe everything you read. I have friends who are Iowa corn farmers, and even though their production is reduced significantly by the drought, prices have gone up so high because of speculators that they will make the same amount as if they had full production. In fact their net profit will be higher because they won't have to pay the fuel cost for getting the predicted yield to market. They are in a win-win situation.
So, it evens out that production is low in one area but higher in another. The consumer, though, is presented with an impression that here is a severe shortage of farm products or none available at all. How do we explain where some farmers are paid by the government to NOT produce anything.
If the problem was dire, we would stop exporting feed corn. At least till we're sure we have enough to meet the needs of U.S. farmers and rancher.