The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: 2012 Corn Edition

The good: Most of Illinois got some rain this weekend! Nearly 2 inches reported in some parts of the state.

The bad: That storm also produced some brutal 50mph winds, knocking down many acres of corn in the southern part of the state.

The ugly: Corn after the storm.

A few farmers are beginning to harvest their corn already. So far, there have been reports of yields ranging from 0-130 bushels per acre at best. ICMB board member Jim Raben has been hearing of yields between 0 and 40 bushels per acre in non-irrigated fields and higher yields of about 130 bushel in irrigated fields. On average, most southern Illinois counties are expecting a 50 bu/acre yield.

Yield isn’t the only number farmers are keeping an eye on. Early harvest brings with it the threat of high moisture ratings. Of those farmers beginning harvest early, the current range is 18-30% moisture. Grain elevators want to see corn coming in at less than 15% moisture, so this means more drying cost and/or premium reduction for these farmers.

If nothing else, this year has been a prime example of the volatile nature of being a crop farmer. No matter how much time, money, and work a farmer puts into their crop, the weather gets the final say in how productive a field will be. Last year, farmers were celebrating yields approaching 200 bushels per acre, and this year most are just hoping for their average to be 50 bushels per acre! Calling this a “tough year for corn farmers” seems to be an understatement throughout most of the Midwest.