Drought Shrinks Corn Crop 37%

WASHINGTON — Drought and high temperatures have shriveled this year’s corn harvest to an estimated 4.48 billion bushels, down 37% from 7.06 billion bushels harvested in 1987, the Agriculture Department said today.

The new figures were based on field surveys as of Aug. 1. In May and June, before the drought had made its biggest impact, the USDA had projected the corn harvest at 7.3 billion bushels. Corn is the largest and most important crop grown by American farmers and, as a feed ingredient, is essential to the production of meat, poultry and dairy products.