Wisconsin expects to have a healthy corn harvest

tải xuống (1) Wisconsin’s corn crop has overcome a late start and blistering heat to be on track for a generous harvest – provided the weather cooperates, supplies remain tight and prices remain high.

The harvest is projected to be 3.28 million acres, making Wisconsin 8th in the nation in corn, according to commodity analysts.

Even with late planting this year, the crop looks good, said Bob Oleson, a Dane County farmer and executive director of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association.

"There are no two fields exactly alike. But the people I have talked with are pretty optimistic," Oleson said.

Last week, a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey showed that 79% of Wisconsin’s corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition. Growth was behind last year at this time but ahead of the five-year average.

"There were very few fields planted on time this year. But the crop has really caught up," Oleson said Friday.

Nationwide, the USDA has lowered its corn production forecast due to extreme heat and dry conditions across much of the grain belt.

Economists with the American Farm Bureau Federation say tight supplies mean the U.S. needs every bushel of grain that farmers can produce this year.

"Analysts were expecting to see a drop in both average yield and production compared to the July crop report, but the yield and production numbers actually came out lower than what market watchers were anticipating," said Todd Davis, Farm Bureau crops economist.

"This tells us we still have a very tight supply situation in corn this year. We will need a good harvest this fall to meet market demands and add to our very tight stocks."

Wisconsin and Minnesota set records for corn production last year – making them two bright spots in an otherwise down year across the corn belt. A surprising drop in the U.S. corn and soybean crop sent commodity prices surging, fueling concerns about higher food prices.

Davis said tight corn supplies are still a concern.

"USDA is pegging 2011-2012 ending corn stocks at 714 million bushels, which represents just 20 days of supply. We are on the razor’s edge when it comes to reserves," he said.

USDA forecasts the average corn crop yield will be 153 bushels per acre and 159 bushels in Wisconsin.

"It is a tale of two cities with the corn crop this year," Davis said. "The crop is doing better in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, while it is below average in Indiana, Colorado, the Dakotas and the Southern states."

Soybean supplies also are tight, as the USDA estimates the nation’s reserves to be 155 million bushels at the end of August, down 20 million bushels from July.

"This represents just 18 days of supply, which is very tight. But you have a little more wiggle room with soybeans than corn because the South American soybean crop can help make up the difference," Davis said.

The nation is expected to have its third-largest corn harvest on record but the second-lowest level of reserves.

Unless something changes drastically, farmers should receive high prices for their grain this year.

"I just can’t imagine any type of price collapse," said John Sanow, market analyst for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, an agricultural information service based in Omaha, Neb.

Farmers clearly have the incentive to harvest every possible acre, Davis added.

Much of the nation’s corn crop is destined to produce ethanol, which helps support farmers’ prices.

High grain prices also translate to higher food prices at the grocery store.

"I think you will see prices similar to what we are seeing now," Sanow said.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/127697813.html


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