And the U.S. usually benefits more than most because its barriers to imports are low or nonexistent. Other countries remain far more closed, so any agreement mandating lower tariffs tends to help American firms and workers. But the closer we come to the 2000 elections, the less likely a trade bill becomes. During the last five years, U.S. wheat exports to Western Europe have risen significantly. I don't suppose I would be the first person to have noticed that the weather varies from year to year in Minnesota.
Some years are hotter than other years.
Some years the frost comes earlier than other years. This variable weather becomes a practical problem when it comes to selecting what relative maturity of corn hybrid to grow. The goal is to select a hybrid that maximizes the use of the growing season without getting frozen before maturity. Fortunately, weather data has been collected in many areas throughout the state for many years. By using this weather data we can select hybrids that have a minimal chance of being frozen before they mature.