"Welcome rains provided some relief to heat-stressed cities and worried farmers in the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday, but reports of failed crops, wildfires and other fallout from the worst U.S. drought in more than 50 years tempered any optimism."
"The first soaking rains for weeks in parts of the northern Midwest sent U.S. corn and soybean prices sharply lower. But those prices still hover around record highs with weather forecasts for August indicating more heat is on the way.
More rain is forecast for the next 10 days across northern Midwest crop areas, while the southern half will remain dry, forecasters said. Forecasts also called for the central and southern Midwest to remain hot the next two weeks.
'One set of rainstorms does not put us out of danger in a drought,' said agriculture economist Jim Robb. 'We have already set huge declines in corn and soybean yields, even if it rains every day for the balance of the growing season.'"
Bob Burgdorfer reports for Reuters July 25, 2012.
Advertisement 
