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Agriculture Secretary tells White House drought getting worse

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By Russ Blinch

WASHINGTON | Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:36pm EDT

(Reuters) - The drought in the Midwest is getting worse for hard-hit farmers and the wilting crops will mean higher food prices, the top U.S. agriculture official told President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

While USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said he was praying everyday for rain, he told Obama the drought is not as bad as in the last great drought of 1988.

"I get on my knees everyday and I'm saying an extra prayer right now," Vilsack said. "If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it."

In his briefing to President Obama, Vilsack said that the drought of historic proportions will shrink this year's harvest of corn and soybeans. The crops are used for food and feed and because of that Vilsack said meat and poultry prices will be higher this year and next.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/us-usa-drought-vilsack-idUSBRE86H19W20120718