Can climate forecasts for the growing season be valuable to crop producers: some general considerations and an Illinois pilot study.

A three-step process is proposed to be most efficient for generating skillful climate forecasts which could reduce the adverse socioeconomic effects of climatic variability. These steps involve identifying weather-sensitive economic sectors, documenting the flexibility of these sectors with respect to likely forecast information, and the development of accordingly focused forecast capabilities. An illustration of the types of information needed to identify sector flexibility is provided for Midwest crop production. -from Authors