President department has signed a $ 3.9 billion drought relief bill on Thursday . The annual Agriculture forecast survey released hours later predicted total crop production will be 88 % of the 1977 average , with grain production 32 % smaller than the 1987 harvest . Corn , the largest and most important American crop , will decline 34 % from last year . The soybean harvest is expected to be down 23 % , with all wheat production dropping 13 % . The department had already predicted that food prices would increase about 4 % and hopefully this increase will add about 1 to 2 % more . Food stockpiles , however , remain high and 50 million farm products are being put out of production .
President Reagan has signed a $3.9 billion drought relief bill on Thursday. The annual Agriculture Department survey released hours later predicted total crop production will be 88% of the 1977 average, with grain production 31% smaller than the 1987 harvest. Corn, the largest and most important American crop, will decline 34% from last year. The soybean harvest is expected to be down 23%, with all wheat production dropping 13%. The department had already predicted that food prices would increase about 4% and believes this drought will add about 1 to 2% more. Food stockpiles, however, remain high and 50 million farm acres are being kept out of production.