October 15, 2007

 

Manitoba corn harvest nears completion; yields good

 

 

The corn harvest in Manitoba has been progressing at a fairly rapid pace, with early indications suggesting that yields were above average in most instances, according to an official with the Manitoba Corn Growers Association.

 

"The corn harvest in the province is estimated to be at least 75 percent done overall," said Theresa Bergsma, a spokeswoman with the Corn Growers, adding that this would be well ahead of normal.

 

She said there were producers who had already finished the corn harvest while there were others that were still in the early stages of harvest activities.

 

Most producers in Manitoba were able to get an early start in the harvest of corn this year because of drier conditions, Bergsma said.

 

Statistics Canada in its October 4 production survey, estimated seeded area to corn in Manitoba at 200,000 acres and harvested corn area at 185,000 acres. Average yields for corn in the province were pegged at 98.1 bushels an acre, with production in 2007/08 (August/July) forecast at 461,000 tonnes.

 

In 2006, Manitoba producers seeded 150,000 acres to corn, with 145,000 acres harvested. The average yield came in at 103.1 bushels per acre, with production pegged at 379,700 metric tonnes.

 

Bergsma estimated that yields in Manitoba would be closer to the 110- to 120-bushels-an-acre range based on initial results from the 2007 harvest.

 

Moisture content of the corn coming off, however, ranged from 16 percent to as high as 28 percent.

 

"The yields were definitely a bit better than expected with producers generally very excited about the results," Bergsma said. She indicated there were instances in which areas within the corn field were averaging 160 bushels an acre.

 

No official 2008 corn acreage estimates were available for Manitoba as of yet, Bergsma said. However, she said that based on the good results from the 2007 crop and if prices can hold firm levels heading into 2008, Manitoba producers may be inclined to increase the acreage base to the crop next spring.

 

Industry sources estimated that corn bids in Manitoba were ranging anywhere from C$3.80 to C$4.00 a bushel, with some offers higher and some weaker, depending on the location in the province.

 

"Fertilizer prices will ultimately decide on how much corn is planted in Manitoba next spring," said Kim Brown-Livingston, a farm Production Advisor for Manitoba Agriculture and Agri-Food.

 

"It was really good for corn producers in Manitoba to achieve better-than- expected yields this year, and with values a bit better than they have been in past years, there may be enough of an incentive to at least look at the crop next spring," she said.

 

However, Brown-Livingston acknowledged that cheaper input crops such as oats and barley will garner a lot of attention.