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Drought now grips more than half of the nation

By The Associated Press

New report shows drought gripping US has expanded to cover widest area since drought of 1956

Excerpts from this story referencing "Agriculture":

"… r withered plants to feed to cattle. As of Sunday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, 38 percent of the corn crop was in poor or very poor condition, comp …"

"… y sowed 96.4 million acres in corn, the most since 1937. The Department of Agriculture initially predicted national average corn yields of 166 bushels per acre t …"

"… l government is already moving to help farmers and ranchers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week announced plans for streamlining the aid p …"

Worker suffocations persist as grain storage soars, employers flout safety rules

By Jim Morris and Howard Berkes

The 2010 deaths of a 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man in an Illinois grain bin highlight unsafe practices, spotty enforcement.