By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The major U.S. crops will fetch sharply lower prices because of financial turmoil worldwide, the government said on Friday, lowering its price forecast for corn by 15 percent and soybeans by 16 percent. With lower farm-gate prices, the value of U.S. corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton is down by $15.3 billion, or 12 percent, from Agriculture Department forecasts one month ago. "It gives you a hint about next year being a very tough year," private consultant John Schnittker said. Crop revenue would fall at the same time the cost of farming -- fuel, seed, pesticides, fertilizer and land -- is climbing. "These lower prices put farmers in more of a hole for next year." Farm groups have fretted for months that U.S. support prices are too low to shelter growers, if prices collapse. The farm...
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