The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently issued a Regional Emergency Declaration due to a shortage of propane in Illinois. Illinois is one of seven states to receive this declaration, which makes it easier to transport and deliver propane to areas in short supply.
According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the shortage can be attributed to the early onset of winter weather and increased demand for fuel for drying grain. The unusually wet year delayed harvest for most farmers and left nearly all of them harvesting their crops at higher-than-normal moisture levels.
Many farmers are still struggling to finish harvesting crops. According to the most recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture, the corn harvest in Illinois is only 80 percent complete at this point, compared to a five-year-average of 97 percent. Soybeans are only 92 percent harvested, which also trails the five-year-average of 98 percent.
