Wet Harvest Doesn’t Dampen Enthusiasm, NCGA Finds (12-7-06)

With harvest substantially complete throughout the Corn Belt, only a few trouble spots remain, the National Corn Growers Association notes. But there’s no shortage of corn for livestock or other markets even with crops still in the field.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn harvest in the top-producing states is now an estimated 97 percent complete. But parts of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania are behind.

In Michigan, where harvest is only 78 percent complete, it’s a case of “a good crop but a poor fall,” said Larry Nobis of St. John’s, a member of NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team. “But it hasn’t made a difference in either the price or supply, because the crop is so big,” he adds.

Nobis, who estimates he still has about 250 acres of corn in the field, says long periods of rain, and later, snow, have left many farmers worried about damaging their fields with their heavy equipment. “The good news is,” he said “the corn is standing well. We had healthy plants with high-quality stalks and very few dropped ears.”

Historically, Michigan farmers have harvested about 92 percent of their corn crop by early December, but Nobis said the delayed harvest will make little difference in next year’s planning. “Unless we also have a bad spring, we’re not planning to change a thing,” he commented.

In addition to Michigan’s 78 percent harvest rate, USDA estimates that Ohio (88 percent complete), Pennsylvania (90 percent) and Indiana (93 percent) are running behind their historical averages. By contrast, seven states are believed to have harvested 100 percent of their corn crops, and four more states are at least 99 percent complete.