[Le Chien Rouge]

Let’s stop using our food supply for fuel.

End ethanol subsidies now.

[faucetman]

So this has happened (even worse) at least twice before and we survived.

[Gaffer]

All I want to know is just exactly how does this affect the chicken and waffles industry?

[jjotto]

“I am a commodities broker and I’m telling you the sky is falling. Invest your life savings with me and you’ll become filthy rich!”

[wastedyears]

Quick, enact martial law because only the government expanding their power can save us now.

(If I really need a /sarc tag...)

[tiki]

With these dry conditions what are the chances that much of the corn will be contaminated with aflatoxin?

“Aflatoxin is a term generally used to refer to a group of extremely toxic chemicals produced by two molds, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The toxins can be produced when these molds attack and grow on certain plants and plant products. In the United States, aflatoxin production occurs when Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus attack peanuts, cottonseed, white and yellow corn and certain nuts. Most of the aflatoxin problems on corn in the United States are caused by Aspergillus flavus, and the most potent toxin produced by this mold is called aflatoxin B1 . Drought, extreme heat and corn ear injury from insect feeding stress the corn and create an environment favorable to these molds and to aflatoxin production.

Aflatoxin poses a low level threat to the human food supply in the United States because existing regulations and testing by federal agencies and industry exclude contaminated products from the food chain. Generally, these programs have been successful in protecting U.S. consumers from aflatoxin contaminated food.”

http://aes.missouri.edu/delta/croppest/aflacorn.stm

[Yardstick]

...and despite the fact that we may even with the corn estimates, as they have been reduced, would still have the third largest crop of corn in our history, nearly 13 billion bushels, and a very large soybean crop.

Kind of a jumble but is Vilsack saying that despite the drought this is expected to be the third largest corn crop in US history?

[Oratam]

We're all "food insecure" now.

Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme.

[desertfreedom765]

The Soviet Union had bad weather for 70+ years. This reminds me of this...

Getting people ready for the food inflation next year when all the funny money hits.

[DoughtyOne]

Wow looks like another possible tragedy for Obama to exploit.

I can almost see him licking his lips and wringing his hands now.

[Texas Fossil]

DeaconBenjamin = Parson Malthus