OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several days of strong winds in late October arrived at the wrong time for many farmers who saw their crops shrink as ears of corn fell to the ground in Nebraska and western Iowa.

The damage varied, but in the hardest hit parts of central Nebraska some farmers reported yields dropping from an estimated 250 bushels an acre before the wind to 190 bushels afterward.

Overall, the Nebraska corn crop is still estimated to be a good one with 1.66 billion bushels, but the Agriculture Department’s prediction is down from September’s 1.72 billion bushel forecast. But the wind damage will make it harder for many Nebraska farmers to break even because commodity prices were already low.