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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has slightly lowered its estimate of the corn crop, reflecting late planting in the Corn Belt caused by a wet spring. Farmers are now expected to harvest 13.95 billion bushels, 55 million fewer bushels than predicted in June. That still beats the 2009 record by about 858 million bushels.
The supply of corn is likely to shrink this summer because of last year’s small, drought-affected harvest of 11 billion bushels and this year’s delayed planting, so prices will likely remain high. That’s good for farmers selling grain, but will increase the cost of corn-based feed for livestock producers raising cattle, chickens and pigs. Food prices aren’t likely to be affected much by the change.
Chris Parks provides the latest info from the Atlantic Animal Shelter.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is releasing its latest estimates on the size of this year’s corn and soybean crop. The weekly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report comes out Thursday morning and is expected to reflect a smaller corn harvest because many farmers in Iowa and surrounding states couldn’t get crops planted in wet fields. Soybean planting also was delayed.
Many agriculture experts expect the USDA to reduce its estimated corn crop to below the 14 billion bushels estimated a month ago. The harvest is still expected to be a record, beating the 13.1 billion bushels harvested in 2009. Many also will be watching closely the report on soybeans since supplies are running quite low. The report may signal how low the USDA expects supplies to dwindle.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Senator Charles Grassley says farmers would be better served by a farm bill that separates agriculture programs from food stamps but he doubts separate measures will pass. House Republican leaders are considering separate farm and food stamp bills to get the support of conservatives who voted against the farm bill last month. Grassley says Iowans tell him they want farm measures separated from food stamps.
For decades rural lawmakers have added money for food stamps to the farm bill to gather urban votes for the measure. Grassley says a combined bill costing $900 billion over 10 years makes it look like farmers are dipping into taxpayer’s pockets. In reality 20 percent of the farm bill pays for agriculture programs while 80 percent supports food stamps and related programs.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The recent rains along the upper Missouri River won’t change the plan to conserve water in the river’s reservoirs but they will help improve navigation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday the river basin is still recovering from last year’s drought.
In June, the rain that fell north of Sioux City was slightly above normal. But officials predict the amount of runoff flowing into the river this year will still be only about 88 percent of normal. So the amount of water being released from the Gavins Point dam on the South Dakota-Nebraska border will remain around 21,000 cubic feet per second. But the Corps now expects to be able to provide enough water for a full navigation season on the river.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The heat and humidity typical of Iowa summers has arrived and the state is drying out from the wet spring. Statewide average rainfall for the week ending Sunday was less than a tenth of an inch, far below the 1-inch normal.
Monday’s USDA weekly progress report says crops appeared to advance with reports of corn beginning to tassel in scattered fields. Corn in good to excellent condition increased to 58 percent, up 1 percentage point from the previous week. Corn is 12 percent very poor or poor and 30 percent fair.
Ninety-five percent of the soybean crop has emerged; 3 percentage points behind average. Soybeans are 11 percent very poor or poor, 33 percent fair and 56 percent good or excellent. Some farmers say crops will need some moisture soon.
A major producer in central Iowa expects to set a record again this year when it comes to picking sweet corn. Ron Deardorff grows 200 acres of sweet corn near Adel, and says when he begins pulling ears off the stalks next week — it’ll be a complete turnaround from last year. “Last year we were about a week ahead of normal. In in these two years back to back, last year was the earliest ever started picking and I think this year will be the latest I ever started,” Deardorff says. Unseasonably warm and dry conditions last year got the sweet corn off to a quick start last year. Deardorff says the plants had to wait a bit this year before the growth started picking up.
“The last several weeks the corn is really growing, the color is good, it looks nice and healthy. It’s just been delayed in growth from the cool wet April and May. That’s really the only problem,” according to Deardorff. The early arrival of the summer favorite caught everyone’s attention last year, and now that attention is on the late arrival of sweet corn this year. Deardorff finds all the attention surprising. “Who would have thought in 1967 when I started farming that someday that I would be growing this much sweet corn and being contacted by the media to talk about the crop,” Deardorff asked. Deardorff supplies several dozen grocery stores and roadside stands in the Des Moines area. There are some others who grow early hybrids that could hit the street later this week, but Deardorff says he won’t rush things and expects to have corn early next week.
(Radio Iowa)
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