Considering just how much of the country’s crops are grown in the Midwest, seemingly small issues can lead to devastating, widespread shortages. That is precisely what has transpired this year, as the soil has been saturated due to unprecedented rainfall. Here’s everything you need to know:

Illinois is located in the Corn Belt, a portion of the Midwest that primarily grows corn and soybeans. About 75% of the state is farmland, making agriculture the state’s leading industry by far.

Flickr/United Soybean Board

Unprecedented flooding resulted in many farmers being unable to plant an insurable crop. Over 20 million acres of land was rendered useless - double the previous record set in 2011.

Flickr/Rich

Illinois nearly leads the country in corn production, planting around 12 million acres each year. Understandably, this crop shortage has insurmountably affected the Prairie State in ways that will be felt for quite some time.

Flickr/Andrew Seaman

Second only to South Dakota, Illinois has been affected the greatest in terms of corn. An estimated over 100 million acres were not able to sustain crops this year.

American Farm Bureau Federation Website

More soybeans were harvested in Illinois than any other state, with a final yield of 65 bushels. While that statistic left farmers satisfied, it brought even more heartache with anticipation of what this year could have reaped.

Flickr/Aerna’s Mom

The state fared slightly better in regard to soybeans, however, more than 300,000 acres were still saturated. In total, over 4.5 million acres of potential soybean crops nationwide could not be planted.

American Farm Bureau Federation Website

Luckily, the USDA has a plan in place for tragedies such as this. Crop insurance and the ability to plant on unaffected land have allowed more than 4 million replacement acres of soybeans and corn to be sowed.

Flickr/katie chao and ben muessig

Did you know about this tragic crop shortage? Do you live in a state that was affected by these agricultural struggles? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments below.

Flickr/United Soybean Board

Flickr/Rich

Flickr/Andrew Seaman

American Farm Bureau Federation Website

Flickr/Aerna’s Mom

Flickr/katie chao and ben muessig

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