Corn Yields Up, but Harvest is Sluggish

Greetings from a cool and crisp Midwest! It’s really starting to look and feel like fall has arrived. We have even bought our Halloween pumpkins – carving to commence this weekend!

With the government shutdown FINALLY over and USDA reports starting again, we have our first glimpse of where harvest is really at. USDA’s Crop Progress report says corn harvest at 39 per cent harvested in the top 18 corn producing states, lagging far behind the year-ago data of 85 per cent complete and the five-year average of 53 per cent complete.

Soybean harvest stands at 63 per cent which is lower than last year’s 79 per cent harvested acres this week but just under the five-year average of 69 per cent harvested.

For our US readers in the south, the cotton harvest is also behind schedule at 21 per cent harvested versus 36 per cent a year ago and the five year average of 34 per cent.

On Monday, I spoke to Mitch Heisler, Wyffels Hybrids agronomist, who reported that Midwest corn yields are coming in higher-than-expected, reflecting the strong stands and kernel set during pollination that were seen during the growing season.

Despite the USDA figures, Mitch said corn harvest is progressing nicely. Some of the harvest delays are obviously due to the later spring planting dates.

Mitch said some farmers have switched over to harvesting soybeans and then will come back to harvest their later planted and later maturing corn hybrids. He said at this point any frost or freeze should not be a detriment to yields.

To listen to Mitch’s full interview, click here.

In other news… last week, a Mexican judge ordered the government to stop giving permits to transnational companies for planting GMO corn at an experimental and commercial scale.

Mexico banned the planting of GMOs back in 1998. However, that law was modified in 2005 to allow the planting of test plots, by permit only and within some very strict rules, in some of the states of Mexico, primarily those along the US border.

It is these permits that the judge ruled against. Companies like Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences are the companies specifically involved in requesting the permits to plant pilot plots. Those same companies are confident that when all is said and done, the planting of GMO corn will be allowed.

To read more about Mexico’s test plot ban, click here.

Have a great week!