corn

Recent heat and drought have fueled concerns about this year’s corn crop, as producers in the Midwest see a wide range of conditions.

Touting its long history and cultural significance, Mexico’s president says genetically modified corn has no place in his country. That puts Mexico and the U.S. on a collision course over a major trade agreement.

Mexico’s plan to ban all genetically modified corn imports has upset U.S. corn farmers, trade groups and officials. The two nations are in talks and have until April 7 to resolve it before the U.S. can take action under the free trade agreement between North American countries.

Tar spot, a fungal disease, first appeared in the U.S. in 2015 with reports in Indiana and Illinois. Since then, it has been spreading across the Midwest.

Drought is taking its toll on western Kansas cornfields this year. And all that dead corn could mean higher prices for products that depend on the state's grain supply, such as ethanol-infused gasoline and corn-fed beef.

For decades, corn detasseling was a customary summer job for teenagers in Nebraska and the rest of the Corn Belt. In recent years, however, agriculture companies are relying more on migrant labor to do this work through a visa program meant to supplement the local workforce.

To cope with the setback, farmers rely on crop insurance and hope for fall rains to boost next year’s harvest.

Farmers across much of the Corn Belt got a late start planting their corn this year. July could make or break this year’s crop. A poor harvest could fuel inflation and have a ripple effect for consumers.

Prices for crops like corn and wheat are up for now, but there’s a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace.

The Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires blending some renewable fuel into gasoline, may be contributing more to climate change than it’s helping.