The corn planters are starting to roll here in the Midwest, especially in Illinois with 17 per cent acres planted according to the USDA Crop Progress Report. You can expect that by mid-week when the crop insurance 'earliest planting date' of April 11 kicks in that there will be a surge in planting. The university Extension guys' only concern seems to be the water deficit, indicating the moisture level may not be high enough to germinate seed.

Speaking of water… the last few conferences I've been at Water keeps coming up as a consistent concern, especially among industry.

At the CropWorld conference I attended a few weeks ago, there was a representative from The Coca-Cola Company who spoke, not on water, but another topic. The gentleman sitting next to me leaned over and asked 'Do you know why a guy from Coke is at a conference like this?' I shook my head 'No'. His reply to me was one word - 'Water'.

When it comes to water, there are obviously many implications for agriculture - one of the biggest is the use of irrigation. And in developing nations, it accounts for over 90 per cent of water withdrawn from available sources for use.

In Europe, you see vast differences based on the weather pattern. In England where it rains all year round, water for agriculture accounts for less than 1 per cent of human usage. However, on the same continent, water used for irrigation in Spain, Portugal and Greece exceeds 70 per cent of the total usage.

Globally, about 15 to 35 per cent of irrigation withdrawals are estimated to be unsustainable. The map to the right indicates where there is insufficient freshwater to fully satisfy irrigated crop demands.

Am I suggesting everyone stop irrigating? Absolutely not - it's what has allowed some countries to boost production, enabling them to feed their growing population. That said, I do think we need to take a long-term look at irrigation and make sure we are using irrigation as efficiently as possible. How we use water TODAY will affect future food production.

To learn more about water use, click here.

In closing, I was talking to a friend last week, and she had just received a text that her girlfriend's husband had been badly hurt while planting corn and had to be life-flighted to a hospital for treatment. Having grown up on a farm, I know how it works - you push the limits during planting season to get more done in less time. So the mom/daughter/wife in me is sending out a reminder to put safety first and be extra careful as you head to the fields.

Have a safe and great week!