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By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:46 p.m. EST, Nov 05, 2009
Some 15 years ago, the harvest season was so wet, area Ohio State University Extension offices were trying to help farmers put heavy-duty Caterpillar treads on their combines in order to rescue swamped crops, recalled Medina County extension agent Mike Miller.
Things haven't gotten that bad yet, but area farmers are way behind.
Because of excessive rain in recent weeks, only 24 percent of Ohio's corn crop has been harvested, according to a crop progress report this week by the Ohio field office of National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Last year at this time, 68 percent of the corn had been harvested. The five-year average is 60 percent, said agricultural statistician Nathanial Warenski.
On Tuesday, NASS will release amended projections for this year's yield.
A month ago, the state was still predicting a record year, expecting Ohio fields to produce 166 bushels of corn per acre, a 23 percent increase from 135 bushels per acre in 2008.
The delayed harvest won't necessarily stop Ohio from achieving that all-time high.
''If the rain continues and continues and continues, you get stock rot and corn plants start to fall down,'' Miller said. ''But we've got three good days coming up [this weekend] and if we can get six or seven good days in a row, a lot of that crop will get harvested.''
Dwayne Siekman of the Ohio Corn Growers Association said overall, it's been a good season. More farmers are using technology -- from improved seeds to better equipment -- to become more efficient.
''The time it takes to put a crop in the ground is less than five years ago. The amount of inputs is much less than five years ago. We're using less fertilizer, less pesticides per bushel,'' he said.
There is also growing use of satellite technology that allows farmers to apply fertilizer exactly where it is needed, and modern planters can put seeds at the exact depth and distance to maximize their potential.
''The big story is innovation,'' Siekman said. ''The efficiency is just beyond belief.''
This year's hopeful bumper crop is also fueling the ethanol industry in Ohio.
Four plants put into production at the end of 2008 put out 300 million gallons of ethanol this year, Siekman said.
Most of the U.S. fuel supply has a 10 percent ethanol blend, which is federally mandated, but the association is among those pushing to increase that to 15 percent.
Still, Siekman said, this year's potentially big yield and growing ethanol activity isn't making corn growers rich because prices have fallen dramatically.
''We're getting back to the price of corn hovering below the cost of production,'' he said. ''But because the yields are higher, there is still an opportunity for them to stay in business and not lose the farm.''
Fears that yields might be dragged down by excessive rain throughout the Midwest helped crop prices jump nearly 8 percent in October, up 29 cents to $3.54 a bushel.
But that's still nowhere near the $7 highs farmers were paid a year ago, when global food shortages pushed grain prices to record highs.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
Some 15 years ago, the harvest season was so wet, area Ohio State University Extension offices were trying to help farmers put heavy-duty Caterpillar treads on their combines in order to rescue swamped crops, recalled Medina County extension agent Mike Miller.
Things haven't gotten that bad yet, but area farmers are way behind.
Because of excessive rain in recent weeks, only 24 percent of Ohio's corn crop has been harvested, according to a crop progress report this week by the Ohio field office of National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Last year at this time, 68 percent of the corn had been harvested. The five-year average is 60 percent, said agricultural statistician Nathanial Warenski.
On Tuesday, NASS will release amended projections for this year's yield.
A month ago, the state was still predicting a record year, expecting Ohio fields to produce 166 bushels of corn per acre, a 23 percent increase from 135 bushels per acre in 2008.
The delayed harvest won't necessarily stop Ohio from achieving that all-time high.
''If the rain continues and continues and continues, you get stock rot and corn plants start to fall down,'' Miller said. ''But we've got three good days coming up [this weekend] and if we can get six or seven good days in a row, a lot of that crop will get harvested.''
Dwayne Siekman of the Ohio Corn Growers Association said overall, it's been a good season. More farmers are using technology -- from improved seeds to better equipment -- to become more efficient.
''The time it takes to put a crop in the ground is less than five years ago. The amount of inputs is much less than five years ago. We're using less fertilizer, less pesticides per bushel,'' he said.
There is also growing use of satellite technology that allows farmers to apply fertilizer exactly where it is needed, and modern planters can put seeds at the exact depth and distance to maximize their potential.
''The big story is innovation,'' Siekman said. ''The efficiency is just beyond belief.''
This year's hopeful bumper crop is also fueling the ethanol industry in Ohio.
Four plants put into production at the end of 2008 put out 300 million gallons of ethanol this year, Siekman said.
Most of the U.S. fuel supply has a 10 percent ethanol blend, which is federally mandated, but the association is among those pushing to increase that to 15 percent.
Still, Siekman said, this year's potentially big yield and growing ethanol activity isn't making corn growers rich because prices have fallen dramatically.
''We're getting back to the price of corn hovering below the cost of production,'' he said. ''But because the yields are higher, there is still an opportunity for them to stay in business and not lose the farm.''
Fears that yields might be dragged down by excessive rain throughout the Midwest helped crop prices jump nearly 8 percent in October, up 29 cents to $3.54 a bushel.
But that's still nowhere near the $7 highs farmers were paid a year ago, when global food shortages pushed grain prices to record highs.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
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