Coming off a growing season riddled with springtime rain and dry summer conditions, which led to a late harvest, farmers are now adjusting to what it looks like as they navigate planting during a pandemic. 

Despite recent rains, planting conditions have been favorable, though.

“As a general rule, the ground that we worked worked out pretty nice this spring,” Les Hoveln, a part-time farmer and Ag Lender at Gifford State Bank, said.

Hoveln reported some tillage issues and some concern over lack of very cold winter temperatures.

According to the USDA, 68-percent of Illinois’ corn has been planted in comparison to 11-percent at the same time last year (May 10). The same report shows that 43-percent of soybeans in Illinois have been planted, while in 2019 only 3-percent had been planted by mid-May. 

“Over the last five years, we have seen that there are more and more farmers planting their soybeans first,” Hoveln said.

“There’s been some data that suggests that earlier planting beans have shown to yield better.”

The 2020 season will be unlike any spring or summer farmers have experienced before. Much of their seed was purchased prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, so they should have the seed, fertilizer or chemicals to get the work done. 

Like other essential workers, farmers are going to do what needs to be done to grow corn and soybeans that produce the products both humans and livestock need.

“A farmer needs to do whatever the farmer needs to do to get their crop in the ground,” Hoveln said. 

It’s the farmer mentality. 

In Champaign County, COVID-19 hasn’t really affected the day-to-day operations of grain farms so far. 

But the crisis has substantially affected grain prices. 

As of May 5, corn futures sold at a local elevator at $3.04, which was a 26-cent reduction from the price on March 30, 2020. During the same time period, unsold corn that was harvested in 2019, dropped 34-cents from $3.29 to $2.95.

Soybean prices saw a similar trend, on March 30, old soybeans went for $8.72 while new soybeans were being sold for $8.34. By May 5, prices drop to $8.24 for the old crop and $8.06 for the new crop. 

Hoveln said that prices are unlikely to rebound in the upcoming months. 

More than likely, this will lead to farmers losing money, possibly $10s-of-thousands on the 2020 crop they are currently planting. 

Overall global demand for Ag commodities have declined in recent years.

“This started over a year ago with the trade situations with China,” Hoveln said. “China plus other countries are just not buying enough, or as much of our commodities, which is creating a surplus.” 

Decreased demand in the states, due to COVID-19, is likely to increase that supply. 

Although grain prices have spiraled downward, Hoveln said farmers continue to do a tremendous job of producing.

Hoveln said Americans can help farmers and ranchers throughout the United States by continuing to consume the products they provide.

The federal government has also provided some relief through the Payment Protection Program, which has been a small help in some cases.

Like other businesses, though, payroll is only a small portion of expenses business owners incur. Hoveln said that over the years, farmers have done more with less, really being mindful of their operating expenses, but seed, fertilizer and chemical prices continue to rise. 

Farmers and ranchers may see some relief from CFAP (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program), which allotted $19 billion into relief for the Ag industry, including $16 billion for farmers and ranchers in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted. 

The money will also assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19.

“Agriculture desperately needs it,” Hoveln said.

Hoveln said there is one thing that Americans can extend to farmers during this time.

“Those in the Agricultural business could also use everyone’s thoughts.”

The post Farmers do what it takes to get crop in first appeared on SJO Daily.

SPRINGFIELD – Central Illinois counties led Illinois in corn and soybean production last year as every region and nearly all counties saw decreases in both crops, according to estimates released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Both production and yields for corn and soybeans fell in nearly every Illinois county for which the USDA has data for the past two years, according to an analysis by Capitol News Illinois.

The USDA published county-specific soybean figures for 75 of 102 counties and corn figures for 67 counties. Remaining counties were lumped into regional totals. All nine of Illinois’ crop-growing regions, from the cold and snowy northwest to the temperate southeast, saw production and yields decrease.

McLean County, Illinois’ largest by area and a perennial powerhouse in cash crop production, was by far the top producer of corn and soybeans, producing more than 61 million and 18 million bushels, respectively. Fellow central Illinois counties Champaign and Livingston rounded out the top three.

“The soil is good here, but is it better than anything in northern Illinois? No. Western Illinois? Probably not,” said Gerald Thompson, who grows thousands of acres of corn and soybeans in the McLean County town of Colfax.

A short drive down Interstate 55, Sangamon County topped the state in corn and soybean yields, which is the average number of bushels produced from an acre of land. Sangamon County farms averaged 206.3 bushels per acre of corn and 65.5 of soybeans.

“I think we’re all suited to compete, it’s just more of a weather issue,” Thompson said.

Production and yields were down from 2018 across the state – in many places dramatically – after heavy rain and flooding plagued farmers during the spring planting season.

Corn production dropped more than 62 percent in Illinois’ southernmost Alexander County, which sits on the conflux of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Another southwestern county, Perry, saw the biggest change in soybean production with 32 percent decrease.

Central Illinois’ Douglas County had the biggest drop in corn yields with a 34 percent decrease. Calhoun County, which hugs the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, had the largest drop in soybean yields with a 48 percent decrease.

“Not only do you get the challenges of the water you get,” Thompson said of farming along the Mississippi, “but you get everybody else’s water after about a week or two after it comes down the river, gets out of its banks and floods your fields.”

Though McLean County led the state in production, it was not spared by the weather. Soybean production fell nearly 10 percent, while corn production dropped 13 percent. Thompson estimates his yields for both crops were down around 10 percent.

“While I’m not singing the blues too bad, I don’t want to in any way take away from those that really did stress,” he said.

Four counties for which the USDA had data actually saw yields increase. Soybean yields in Hardin County and Lake County rose 3.46 percent and 16.71 percent, respectively, though both saw decreases in production. No county saw an increase in soybean production as Lake County fared the best with a 1.95 percent decrease.

Corn yields rose in Winnebago County (4.01 percent) and Madison County (0.25 percent). Another three counties saw production increase: Marshall (5.28 percent), Sangamon (1.95 percent) and Gallatin (1.59 percent).

Last week’s numbers are the first county-level glimpse into the plight of Illinois’ top two crops after statewide production totals released in January showed a 20 percent drop in soybean production and an 18 percent drop in corn.

Illinois last year saw its wettest January through June on record. Corn and soybeans are usually planted in the late spring, especially May. Unfortunately for farmers, the state’s wettest May on record forced many to wait until June and even July to put seeds in the ground.

“We made an extra effort to get ready for spring 2020,” said Thompson, who didn’t finish planting last year until mid-June.

The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration predicts a wetter-than-normal March through May for the entire state this year, especially southeastern Illinois communities along the Wabash River.

“Preparing for wetter-than-normal conditions to be more common or happen more frequently is something that farmers should be doing in Illinois,” state climatologist Dr. Trent Ford told Capitol News Illinois in January.

Ford added that scientists attribute these increasingly wet conditions to climate change.

“The connections there are pretty strong,” Ford said.

Despite the decreases in crop production, Illinois retains its status as America’s top soybean state and second-ranked corn state, behind Iowa.

2019 PRODUCTION (IN BUSHELS)

Corn

1. McLean County (61,712,000)
2. Champaign County (48,918,000)
3. Livingston County (46,927,000)
4. Iroquois County (45,786,000)
5. Sangamon County (45,582,000)

Soybeans

1. McLean County (18,123,000)
2. Livingston County (16,121,000)
3. Champaign County (13,539,000)
4. LaSalle County (13,315,000)
5. Iroquois County (12,391,000)

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

2019 YIELDS (IN BUSHELS PER ACRE)

Corn

1. Sangamon County (206.3)
2. Carroll County (206.1)
3. Morgan County (205.8)
4. Tazewell County (205.6)
5. Cass County (205.6)

Soybeans

1. Sangamon County (65.5)
2. Carroll County (64.7)
3. Morgan County (64.1)
4. Macon County (63.8)
5. Tazewell County (63.8)

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

LARGEST PRODUCTION DECREASES 2018-19

Corn

1. Alexander County (-62.28%)
2. Douglas County (-60.29%)
3. Macon County (-49.67%)
4. Jefferson County (-48.87%)
5. Monroe County (-34.74%)

Soybeans

1. Perry County (-32.19%)
2. Clay County (-28.57%)
3. Effingham County (-28.57%)
4. Jefferson County (-27.24%)
5. Cumberland County (-24.70%)

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

LARGEST YIELD DECREASES 2018-19

Corn

1. Douglas County (-34.31%)
2. Effingham County (-26.06%)
3. Clay County (-25.78%)
4. Crawford County (-24.70%)
5. Alexander County (-23.46%)

Soybeans

1. Calhoun County (-48.01%)
2. Hardin County (-41.04%)
3. Jackson County (-39.78%)
4. Marion County (-36.80%)
5. Clay County (-36.62%)

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

The post Central Illinois leads corn and soybean production as numbers decline across state first appeared on SJO Daily.

The 2019 growing season in East Central Illinois was unlike any farmers of this generation has seen before.

From unusually wet conditions through the beginning of June, to spotty rainfall throughout the summer to snowy conditions as early as October, precipitation has ruled what farmers were able to do and produce.

“We had too much rain early, planted the crop too wet that we probably shouldn’t have planted, but we were against the clock,” Les Hoveln, a part-time farmer and Ag Lender at Gifford State Bank, said.

“A lot of people were bumping up against crop insurance deadlines. So if you miss those dates, you are getting a reduction in your crop insurance coverage.

“Guys were hammering; thousands and thousands of acres were planted that first week of June.”

According to the Illinois Water Survey, between March and June 2019, the Champaign area saw approximately 4.5 inches of rain more than normal. But once the seed was in the ground and the fields dried up, Champaign County received more than 2 inches less rain than it normally does.

“It just turned off,” Hoveln said.

“And yet, we still had a crop of some sort.”

Overall, Hoveln said the East Central Illinois area fared better than other parts of the nation.

Coming off a 2018 season that produced record-breaking yields, Hoveln said both soybean and corn yields are down, but not by much.

“In this area, we’re pretty fortunate,” he said.

With friends in South Dakota, he knows how hard the western states were hit when they received snow at the end of September.

Many counties in western Illinois still have quite a bit of crop in the field. His friends in South Dakota battled snowdrifts as high as the corn tassels.

According to the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, Illinois farmers will see a decline of 31 bushels per acre from the 210 bushels per acre yield they saw in 2018. The document also predicts that soybeans will be down 12.5 bushels per acre in Illinois.

Because most of the crops were planted late, harvest has also come later than usual.

Unexpected rain and snow on Oct. 31 and Nov. 11 delayed the harvest for some farmers even further.

“Everybody was pretty much shut down,” Hoveln said. “Prior to that, they were sitting and waiting on a June crop to dry out a little bit in the field before they harvested it.”

Hoveln said most soybeans are already out of the field in this area, but for those that are left, the below-freezing temperatures could cause the pods to rupture and drop the seeds.

Across Champaign County there continue to be pockets of unharvested corn.

Getting the kernels from the plant is becoming increasingly more difficult with days of shorter daylight, but Hoveln believes that with the upcoming warm-up predicted by the National Weather Service, farmers will be able to get back in the fields soon.

Market prices are also on farmers’ minds as 2019 comes to a close.

Prices are predicted to be higher than 2018, but with lower yields, growers may be feeling a strain as they prepare for the 2020 growing season.

“You know I think every farmer out there truly believes at some point, this is all going to catch up and we’ll see a little bit of a rally,” Hoveln said.

According to “Projected Yield and Revenue Changes from 2018 to 2019 for Corn and Soybeans in the Midwest States,” by Gary Schnitkey, revenue changes will be mixed for 2019.

The report predicts that “farms in the eastern corn-belt could have much lower incomes” due to yield declines.

Coming into the holiday season, farmers are looking forward to finishing out their 2019 work. Once the ground thaws a little more, those who have not harvested will be able to finish as others look to wrap up their tilling and fertilizer work in preparation for the following growing season.

The post Rain dictates 2019 East Central Illinois crop first appeared on SJO Daily.