The word "Drought" dated 1988 appears on the door of a barn owned by Farmer Andy Stoll in Idaville, Indiana, U.S., on Friday, July 6, 2012. The note was written by Stoll's great-uncle, Dale Wright, who used to farm the land surrounding the property now owned by Stoll. The drought in the U.S. Midwest that has pushed up corn prices may eventually rival a dry period in 1988 that cost agriculture $78 billion, a government meteorologist said. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Corn plants damaged by extreme heat and drought conditions stand in a field in Carmi, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, July 11, 2012. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg