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Midwest drought sparks debate over ethanol production

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    Mike Tobin reports from Bradford, Illinois

  • Duration 1:54
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The midwest is dealing with his worst drought in fifty years and -- -- suffered your bottom lined suffers when food prices -- specifically because of the impact on corn.

But there is something that some lawmakers say the government can do to help and Mike Tobin is live in Bradford Illinois.

With more on that for -- -- hi Mike so what does the crop look like where you are.

Like and show you the immediate visual impact is that the court should be about eight feet high.

Right about now and it's all stunted because it hasn't gotten enough water when you look at the individual ears of corn.

What you can see is that it's not filling in.

The owner of this particular -- rod -- -- Sharkey says he normally does about 200 bushels per acre.

This year he's looking at doing about 75.

Bushels per acres and -- production.

Is down to less -- And about half of the corn in the United States has been declared either in bad shape or in very bad -- as we roll some video.

We can show you what some of the farmers in Illinois are electing to deal and that is just cut their losses and plow their crops right under for the year.

Now since porn goes into everything from your breakfast cereal to corn syrup today feed for livestock.

That's gonna impact you at your kitchen table it's gonna cost you about three to 4% more over the next year to feed your family because the midwest isn't getting -- brain -- So Mike Tobin -- the government help exactly.

It's been interesting a lot of people are talking about.

There's a toxin that grows on corn when they go through a drought.

So it's no longer fit for human consumption no longer fit for livestock so even that wouldn't solve their problems the end of the day if there's not enough rain it's tough on the farmer it cost you more to feed -- -- him.

My children live in Illinois thank you.