Western Kentucky farmer says 2012 drought one of top 5 or 6 of all time

Western Kentucky is suffering from extreme drought conditions this summer which has all but depleted the region’s corn crop.

The drought will have profound economic effects because of the importance of corn across food and energy sectors, as Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer pointed out.

Tripp Furches, owner of Furches Farms in Calloway County just outside of Murray, has seen first hand what the hot weather has done. Furches, who has farmed for 30 years,
said it’s the worst drought he’s seen since 1988.

The University of Kentucky Agricultural Weather Center reported that western Kentucky would need nearly 16 inches of rain to end the drought.