14 March 27, 2014 2014 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
When asked why he
stays in the game,
Whitson replied that this
is what he has always
done. His dad farmed,
and he has farmed all
his life. It’s in his blood.
“And, you have to do
something,” he said.
“This is what I do.” He
added that despite the
trials and troubles, “The
Lord is taking care of
me!”
[Author’s note: If
there is any lack of
understanding, anything
left out or misstatement
in this article, it is
certainly mine. The two
producers I interviewed
know this stuff inside
and out and did their best
to help me understand
and ask the right
questions. A big thanks
to Doug Thompson and
Matt Whitson for their
patience.]
By Jim Youngquist
Will Russia become a new
world leader in agriculture?
A
t the end of the harvest season
for 2013, the United States is
not the only country worldwide to
see increases in corn production over
2012 yields. Globally, corn exports
are expected to rise 21.11 percent as a
result of the 2013 harvest.
In fact, two of the top three exporters
of corn, the U.S. being No. 1 and
third-ranking Ukraine, saw excellent
yields at the end of the season. The
No. 2 exporter, Brazil, saw yields fall
by 13.58 percent, and another major
player, Argentina, saw a decrease of
9.43 percent.
In seventh place worldwide in corn
production is Russia. And again, this
past year saw that country reporting
high yields.
The question now is, if Russia
succeeds in bringing Ukraine back
into its fold, how the combined yields
would affect its world standing in crop
production. With Ukraine currently
third and Russia making advances in
agriculture, Brazil may be outranked
in corn production within the next few
years. The United States could even be
in jeopardy of losing its No. 1 status in
the longer term.
Would that affect corn prices?
Probably. But the direction they take is
still going to depend on what happens
between Russia and Ukraine over the
next few months.
Vladimir Putin has been accused of
wanting to see his “Mother Russia”
return to the expansive territory it once
was when known as the Soviet Union.
In recent days, Crimea has made the
key decision to join with Russia in
its stand against a new Ukrainian
government.
This could be key to Ukraine’s
ability to export because Crimea is a
peninsula on the Black Sea. Crimea
lies strategically between Ukraine and
its access to the rest of the world via
sea vessels. Other recent events have
included Ukrainian military units in
Crimea and leaders surrendering to
Russia. Combine the two components
Continued to page 16
