View from the Cab: Another 2009?

The occasional rainy days take me back to the wet harvest of 2009.

I certainly hope we get the corn and soybeans out of the fields sooner than we did that year when we finished up in early December. At least we have already started combining this year. In 2009, I don’t think we even started until October. The only difference between this year and 2009 is the prices. Corn at $7.00 is a thing of the past – at least for now.

Early yield reports continue to sound impressive, but it is still early. In fact, many growers haven’t even ventured out into the fields just yet as they let the corn dry down to avoid paying extra drying costs at the elevator. Several of the soybeans are turning yellow and shedding leaves, which means it will be a matter of days or weeks until those fields are harvested.

I spent most of last Monday catching up on mowing which has been a never-ending chore this year. That was a beautiful day to be outside with highs in the upper 70s under clear blue skies. I resemble Rudolph since I forgot to wear sunscreen on my nose. Boy, that September sun is sure powerful. The season of the farmer’s tan continues.

Last week’s USDA report was more friendly for corn and wheat than it was for soybeans. The government increased the soybean yield and reduced corn slightly. Also, Chinese imports were cut. The Illinois Crop Production report showed the state’s corn yield at 200 bushels per acre, up 25 bushels from 2015. The Illinois soybean yield is forecast at 61 bushels per acre, a five-bushel increase from 2015. If realized, this would be the highest yield on record for the state.

The state’s corn production forecast is at 2.30 billion bushels which is unchanged from August but up 14 percent from last year’s production. Soybean production is forecast at a record-setting 600 million bushels, a 10 percent increase from last year.