Crop Harvest Moving Along at Fast Pace
Published: Friday, October 18, 2024
This fall's dry weather is proving to be a double-edged sword for Michiana farmers harvesting corn and soybeans. While the drought has helped farmers get an early start on harvest, it also has reduced yields, especially on soybeans.
Based on interviews with area farmers, harvest is speeding along at a record pace. One Marshall County farmer said he is storing "everything" in his bins, hoping to sell later.
Because of the rapid rate of harvest, grain could pile up as farmers and local grain elevators run short of storage space.
"Space will be an issue," said Craig VanDyke, a grain analyst with Keystone Cooperative in Malden. He added that soybean harvest will wrap up much earlier than normal, perhaps ending in record time.
VanDyke said soybean yields in Northwest Indiana are about average, while corn yields are 15 to 25 bushels above average. He said he was surprised that soybean yields weren't hurt much by the drought.
Corn drydown is taking place very quickly, at the rate of 1% per day, he said.
"Yields are pretty healthy," he added.
Demand for both corn and soybeans is "good," VanDyke said, but the market has an oversupply of both crops. This will keep prices from going up much. That's one reason why he recommends utilizing on-farm storage as much as possible.
Regarding harvest progress, Joe Stoller of Bremen said he is "pushing hard" to bring in his crops. He has cut about 75% of his soybeans and has harvested about a third of his corn crop. His soybean yields are down by 10 to 15 bushels per acre, he said. He blames a large rain in July for drowning out beans in the low spots, followed by a 22-day dry period in August that further limited the crop's yield potential.
Stoller said he is expecting average yields on his corn, which is surprising considering the deluge in July that caused his corn to "gooseneck." Then there was dry weather in August and September. He was expecting much worse than average yields.
He is storing most of his corn crop and about half of his soybeans.
One of the unusual things he is seeing this year is green-stemmed beans. The beans still have leaves, but the soybeans are dry.
In Southwest Michigan, Jason Sprague is both a farmer and grain merchandiser for Cargill. He said soybean yields in the Decatur area are variable depending on planting dates. The early planted beans are averaging about 50 bushels per acre, while the later planted beans are producing are 30 bushels per acre.
The early planted beans had plenty of moisture from a wet spring, while the later planted beans struggled during the August drought.
Corn yields are a different story, however.
"It looks like a good overall crop," he said, adding that yields are similar to last year.
Farmers in his area got an early jump on harvest and are ahead of the average pace. Harvest is occurring much earlier than usual, thanks to the corn drying quickly.
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