Some corn fields surrounding the GFG Ag Services in Gilman City remains to be harvested; however, over 90% of the crops in the area are out. [Staff Photo/TLH]
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After a mild, moist spring, corn and soybean farmers are seeing record yields. Missouri’s corn crop may reach 599 million bushels. Soybeans may reach 258 million bushels. Both would be records. But the downside of a healthy supply is a dip in prices.
Gary Elder, branch manager for GFG Ag Services based in Gilman City, said the company’s service area includes Daviess, Harrison and Grundy counties. About 90-95% of the corn had been harvested by Monday, Oct. 31, and about the same amount for soybeans.
Another week of below average precipitation has allowed harvesting to advance. Area farmers are a little ahead of the pace of last year’s harvest.
Mr. Elder said corn is averaging 190 to 200 bushel per acre. There is a little wider variety in the bean crop, but it is still a bumper crop, too, averaging 45-60 bushes per acre.
USDA reports that crop cash receipts—the cash income from crop sales—are expected to fall 3.7% in 2016 as prices for cash crops continue to decline. Since hitting a record high in 2012, corn receipts are forecast to fall 37.7% over the four years through 2016.
Mr. Elder said corn is averaging around $2.80 per bushel, which is not too pleasing to local farmers. Soybeans are making $9.20 to $9.30 per bushel, which is down from the last couple of years, but still a good price.
Some farmers are motivated to hold grain for feeding or a later sale, hoping prices rebound in the winter.
“It’s been split,” Mr. Elder said. “We’ve bought more corn this season than normal during harvest. But beans are about average with 75 percent to 80 percent in storage.”
Excessive rain, coupled with high dew points, made corn and soybean ripe for disease in much of the state. Scattered cases of diplodia, corn ear rot, stalk rot and seed sprouting call for affected crops to be harvested and dried quickly.
“Farmers who got an early start and harvested early in the day may have run into some moisture problems,” Mr. Elder said.
He said GFG Ag Service at Gilman City has been filled up for the last week and a half and the company has piled grain at its Bethany location.
“All in all it’s been an excellent harvest,” he said.