Sales of Iowa Corn, Soybeans May Be Hard for Farmers

By Matthew Wilde, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Sep. 27–DECORAH — Iowa fields are like a rainbow, but many farmers will have a hard time finding a pot of gold at the end.

Green, red, silver and yellow combines — representing various makes and models — are devouring soybeans and corn across the state. Many farmers are reporting better-than-average yields in Northeast Iowa so far, but selling the bountiful crop for a profit could prove difficult.

Monday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said the grain, seed corn, and alfalfa hay harvests are in full swing.

Weekend rains temporarily slowed down what is shaping up to be an early harvest.

As of Sunday, 27 percent of the state’s soybean crop is in bins or off to market. Seven percent of the corn crop for grain has been combined.

Farmers shouldn’t have to worry about snow stranding crops in the field, earning a living from selling them may prove more difficult. Cash corn last week at East Central Iowa Cooperative in La Porte City closed at $1.61 per bushel, with soybeans at $5.08. Both are well below cost of production.

While many farmers sold some of this year’s crop while it was growing or before it even went in the ground at substantially higher prices, marketing the rest will be a challenge. Farmers are still trying to sell of last year’s record corn crop, hurricane Katrina impacted shipping routes, thus slowed exports and this year’s crop nationwide is expected to yield above the trend line.

“Yields and total production are such that storage capacity will be exceeded in many local areas. With the Gulf ports and river traffic disrupted, prices will likely be soft into the new year,” said George Cummins in Crop Notes. He’s an Iowa State University Extension crop specialist based in Charles City.

Many areas of the state reported temperatures 10 degrees above normal last week, helping corn dry down quicker in the field. Some northern counties received excessive rainfall with a few areas reporting more than 4 inches.

The closer farmers are to the Minnesota border, the more crops remain to be combined. While some farmers in the Waterloo area are close to wrapping up the bean harvest, Jim Falck who farms near Decorah said producers in his area are maybe 10 percent done.

He’s combined 100 of his 620 acres of beans, with yields averaging in the mid-50s (bushels) per acre.

“The growing season was almost ideal,” Falck said. “We got some timely moisture and good heat units — more than what we normally would see,” Falck said.

Standing corn averaged 26 percent moisture, the report said, while harvested corn came in at 22 percent. That’s 3 percent lower than last week and 5 percent lower than last year. Corn lodging is rated at 67 percent none, 24 percent light, 7 percent moderate and 2 percent heavy.

Soybean lodging statewide is reported to be 73 percent none, 23 percent light and 4 percent moderate. Soybean shattering is rated 75 percent none, 22 percent light and 3 percent moderate.

Livestock were generally reported to be in good condition, with some reports of animals pasturing on already harvested fields.

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