Iowa faces a dry spell

As Iowa heads toward its fourth year of drought, grain farmers prepping for planting next month are facing mandatory water restrictions and livestock producers are searching for supplies.

The nation’s top cornproducing state is seeing one of its driest periods entering a growing season, said Thursday’s update from US Drought Monitor.

The US last year harvested a record corn crop despite drought conditions in some areas, and corn prices have hovered around the lowest in more than three years due to plentiful global supply.