2012
LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE. LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com October 23, 2012
3
2012
in review
by John Fulton
W
hat held high promise as a growing season, quickly
withered under the heat and moisture stress arriving
in July.
Many drought comparisons were brought up, but each drought
is really different. Rainfall amounts were highly varied, so
select locations
received rainfall
in a timely
manner and
thus
had
average to better-than-average
yields.
In some situations,
fields across the road
from each other varied
significantly in corn and
soybean yields. It was also
very evident in the same
field, since some spots held
no corn ears and other areas
of the same field were making
over 200 bushels per acre.
Soybean yields have also
varied, but not near as widely
as corn.
Corn yields have ranged
from zero to around 200, and
soybeans from 18 to 54.
The effects on crop producers
will vary widely. Sure, crop prices are
historically high, but you have to have
the bushels to sell to collect the dollars.
Producers who paid for crop insurance
thought they had a bargain this year, but
in many instances it was a significant
outlay of cash, at over $55 an acre for
corn revenue insurance. This year was a
bargain, but most haven’t had to use the
insurance for many years.
Insurance is just that -- it keeps a
producer in business for another year.
Top insurance levels are generally in the
85
percent area, so the other 15 percent is
traditionally added back into the business
and for family living expenses.
Another simple fact
is, farmers don’t stay in
the business to collect
insurance. They would
much rather raise a bountiful
crop.
Corn and soybeans weren’t the
only things to take a hit on yields.
Hay and pasture acres were also
affected. Many of the pastures were
literally burned up in early July, and
this led to feeding hay supplies meant
for winter months. The price of hay
went from $3 per bale for small bales
to over $10 in some instances.
There was some improvement in
both hay and pasture acres with the
remnants of Hurricane Isaac passing
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