By Steve Kullerich, The Iowa AgriLife Extension Service (IAES)A year ago, Iowa farmers faced a looming food shortage.
But now, the drought has eased, and farmers are using less water.
In 2017, farmers used 6.2 billion gallons of water to produce 2.7 million tons of corn and soybeans, according to the USDA.
In 2018, the amount of water they used was down to 4.4 billion gallons.
This is the smallest increase since the USDA began keeping records in 2014.
Farmers in Iowa are spending a lot of water.
For the first time since 2009, farmers in Iowa used less water per acre to produce corn and wheat than they did in 2014, according the USDA’s Iowa Water Research and Education Center (IWAREC).
Farmers are using more water to grow soybeans because they are able to harvest more grain, and they are using a lot less water to feed the animals.
In 2018, farmers harvested 2.3 million tons and used 7.5 billion gallons, or 9.3 billion gallons per acre.
This year, farmers were using 3.6 billion gallons to produce 4.5 million tons.
This was the lowest amount in almost three decades.
Farm water usage is down by more than 40% from 2016.
IWARECA data shows that Iowa farmers now have more water in their systems, but the drought is keeping water usage up.
Iowa is experiencing one of the worst droughts in the country, but that drought has not caused farmers to stop harvesting their crops.
Iowa farmers have been able to use more water because they can’t sell their corn and are using water to make soybeans.
But the drought does not mean farmers can stop harvesting.
Farmer John Smee, who sells corn at his farm in Pottawatomie, Iowa, says that he expects farmers will continue to harvest corn because they will have to use less water and soybean oil for feed.
“Farmers will continue using water, but I have a feeling that they won’t use more than they are already using,” Smees said.
“They’ll use less than they were used to.”
I don’t think they’ll go back to that,” he said.
Farm income is also declining.
Iowa’s agricultural production is down 9% this year compared to 2017, according an IWAS analysis of data from the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
This decline is due in part to the fact that farmers in the state have been forced to sell their crops in recent years, with prices falling due to the drought.
The USDA estimates that Iowa is facing a $1.2-billion shortfall for food aid, which is about 6% of its budget, and a $936 million shortfall for water assistance, which amounts to 5.5% of the state’s budget.
IWEA data shows Iowa farmers have received a total of $1,742 million in agricultural assistance in 2018.