US: Arkansas Farmers Blame Storms For Reduced Yields

Terming this year's rice harvest as tedious and disappointing, rice farmers in Arkansas have blamed hurricanes Gustav and Ike that swept through the state last month, with rains and winds blowing down many rice plants and dislodged the grain from others. 

As of Sunday, an estimated 65 % of the state’s rice crop had been harvested, well behind the five-year average of 85 %, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This year, Arkansas farmers are forecast to harvest 1, 345, 000 acres, slightly more than the 1, 325, 000 acres harvested last year.