Late in December, southern U.S. Midwest received unseasonal heavy rains that posed a threat to the region’s soft red winter wheat.

Heavy rains caused flooding in Arkansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois — the main producing regions for soft red winter wheat, which comprises about 25% of total U.S. wheat production. Other types of winter wheat are not considered to be under threat as snowfall has insulated these crops from cold weather in the areas it is grown.