Page 4 - Logan County Farm Outlook - Spring 2013
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2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE. LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com March 21, 2013
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kernels alive.
Corn yields ranged widely, from zero to
field averages in the 170 range. Most yields
fell somewhere in between those figures, as
evidenced by the county average.
A new census of agriculture is in the final
stages of data collection. This will mean
new figures will be available sometime next
year for number of farms, income, livestock
numbers, crops produced and specialty
crops. Unfortunately, the yields of the
drought year will also be with us for a while
since the census is done every five years.
Crop input costs continue to be at
moderately high to record-high levels. Seed
cost is one that continues to climb as more
technology is used to produce a genetically
diverse seed supply. Seed corn costs range
from around $200 per bag to over $400. We
no longer get 2.5-3 acres per bag either. The
most common planting population -- plants
or actually seeds per acre -- is now about
35,000.
Soybean seed costs $30 to $45 per bag,
and that is for less than a bushel.
Don’t get me wrong -- the seed companies
are earning it. Some of the highest priced
corn means the corn produces naturally
occurring proteins to kill insects, so
insecticide isn’t needed on those acres.
Fertilizer prices have moderated
somewhat but are still two to five times
higher than they were 10 years ago.
Croppriceshavealso remainedhistorically
high. Exports have been lower. Reversing
a recent trend, livestock feed use has been
higher. Use to produce fuel as ethanol or
soy oil has also been increasing in recent
years.
Lower yields and continued high use
have given us higher commodity prices.
Livestock prices have remained high, but so
have the feed costs. This has led to livestock
producers working for little or nothing in
many species.
What’s ahead for the coming year? One
never knows, but the drought trend seems
to be breaking. Better moisture through the
winter has put us in better shape going into
the planting season. Now, if we can get
away from the extreme heat of last year, we
may return to the larger yields to which our
area is accustomed.
2012 in review
continued
