On The Farm: Promising Corn Crop | Video

Rene Thibault | 9/5/2012

North Dakota`s corn crop is in better shape than any of the other corn producing states. The most recent crop condition report rates North Dakota`s crop at 47 percent good to excellent, compared that to Iowa, which has only 13 percent of its rated in good condition, and None with excellent quality. Corn could be considered yellow gold for farmers who have a crop that`s made it through a long, dry summer.

Dan Sem, the Seed Sales Manager for SunPrairie says that country wide the crop is doing well, “Nationwide I think we`re sitting in very good shape with our corn crop. Towards the end here the heat has pushed things along and that`s naturally going to take some bushels away, so we`re not looking at a perfect corn crop, but I think we`re looking at a decent corn crop that`s going to get harvested up here”. Average yields of bushels pre acre may be down, at an estimated 100, compared to last year’s 120 bushels per acre, but a high commodity price will make up for that drop.

Clayton Fegley is one of the North Dakota farmers that`s looking forward to harvesting corn. Fegley said it’s been a long time since farmers have seen a year like this, “Forty some years of being around the farm, only 2 or 3 times you get this type of windfall in all those years”. The drought conditions that damaged many other agricultural crops wasn’t nearly as damaging for corn growers.

Clayton says the past five years, corn has averaged $5.00 a bushel, but today the price is closer to $7.50. It’s all thanks to high demand for the ethanol producing crop.

Clayton planted 1000 acres... And he`s hoping to harvest at least 100 bushels an acres corn... With test weights higher than 54. “Well the corn is looking exceptionally well for the type of weather we had. All my ears are filled to the end of the cob, which means it didn`t get stretched early”, added Fegley.

With prices near historic highs and a promising crops, Sem says more North Dakota farmers will be working more corn into their rotations next year, “For Ward County I can tell you that our acres probably tripled. And we`re looking at probably adding more onto that this next selling season and getting into the next spring. So guys are already planning for that, so right now I see us increasing corn next year”.

Typically, the corn harvest doesn`t begin until mid-October, but because of dry conditions, farmers are expected to get an early start cutting the crop this fall.

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