August 15, 2007

Corn harvest underway across Southern US

Harvest of what is expected to be a record-large 13 billion bushel corn crop has begun in southern sections of the US, amid mixed yield reports.

Although national figures on harvest progress haven't yet been released by US Department of Agriculture (USDA), crop updates issued Monday (August 13) by state offices of the National Agricultural Statistics Service show farmers have begun picking corn from Texas and Arkansas, to South Carolina.

Growers in Louisiana have made the greatest advances, with 20 percent of their corn crop already in the bin, entering the week. Corn harvest was also estimated at 11 percent complete in neighbouring Mississippi, 7 percent finished in Texas, and 6 percent done in both Arkansas and South Carolina.

Unofficial calculations by Dow Jones Newswires indicate that only about 412,000 acres of US corn have been picked thus far, representing less than one-half of one percent of the 85.418 million acres USDA believes will ultimately be harvested, this season.

Yield reports have been scarce, with results varying widely as a consequence of highly variable weather conditions which prevailed across the Deep South during the 2007 growing season.

"Early indications from dryland corn (indicate) yields are better than expected," said Sharkey County, Mississippi, extension agent Robert Martin, although the South Carolina Ag Statistics Service added, "Record-high temperatures and severe drought took a toll on crops, pastures and livestock across South Carolina last week. Corn harvesting continued, with disappointing yields reported in several areas."