August 15, 2007

 

Kansas farmers expect bountiful corn, soy harvests

 

 

Crop conditions remain favourable as Kansas farmers prepare for anticipated bountiful harvests of corn and sorghum, Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday (August 14).

 

In its weekly crop update, the agency rated corn condition in Kansas as 57 percent good to excellent, with 31 percent reported as fair. About 12 percent of the crop was rated in poor to very poor condition.

 

The latest crop weather report comes on the heels of last Friday's crop forecast that pegged Kansas corn production at 448.8 million bushels, up 30 percent from a year ago.

 

Kansas growers planted 3.7 million acres of corn this season, up 350,000 acres more than a year ago. That is the highest planted acres of corn in this state since 1943, reflecting high corn prices amid growing demand for corn for the ethanol industry and livestock feeding.

 

The other major fall-harvested crops are also faring relatively well:

 

- Sorghum was rated as 12 percent excellent, 54 percent good, 28 percent fair, 6 percent poor.

 

- Soybeans were rated as 8 percent excellent, 49 percent good, 36 percent fair, 6 percent poor and 2 percent very poor.

 

- Sunflowers were rated as 9 percent excellent, 42 percent good, 41 percent fair, 6 percent poor and 2 percent very poor.

 

That bodes well after the battering that came with a disappointing winter wheat crop that was devastated by a late spring freeze, insects and disease.

 

In another reminder of just how bad the winter wheat crop fared, KASS revised its winter wheat crop forecast downward again last Friday to an estimated 288 million bushels. That makes this year's wheat crop even poorer than the drought-plagued crop of last year by at least 1 percent.

 

The acreage harvested was estimated at 9 million acres, far fewer wheat acres than the 10.3 million acres growers initially planted.