(MULVANE, Kan.) — Six weeks ago they were harvesting a bumper wheat crop. Now, the tables have turned on Kansas farmers.
Farmers have gone from above normal moisture to drought conditions and persistent triple-digit heat. That spells trouble for fall crops like corn and soybeans. However, after last year's record drought that completely wiped out many fields, farmers like Ian Parker near Mulvane say it could be worse.
"The yields are going to definitely be better than last year," Parker says. "It's the card you get dealt, and you have to stay positive. Every day you are closer to a rain."
Parker says the conditions have made his non-irrigated corn mature faster. He plans to start harvesting later this week and expects a yield that's about three quarters of what's considered good. Meanwhile, he says his soybeans will be hurting if there's no rain by next week.
